Last weekend Prada officially announced the renovation of their ground floor boutique at the Harrods department store in London with a transformation that aligns more with their Milanese heritage. The revamped space features a black and white chequered floor, in reference to the historic Prada store in Milan, as well as 3D covering with graphics that speak to the historic prints of the house, which are paired their signature shade of boutique green.
To mark this special occasion , the house also scheduled the launch of an exclusive Prada spazzolato leather handbag , which was first seen in their SS21 digital presentation not too long ago. Carefully crafted in spazzolato leather , the accessory comes in two styles and will be sold in black , white , orchid and aqua.
On the occasion of the launch of their FW20-21 collection, Dior recently announced their partnership with Harrods in the opening of a new pop-up store in London. The pop-up which will be hosted by the boutique in the city’s centre from August 1st to 30th is a dedication to some of new additions to the collection. The grand velvet space will feature new versions of bags such as Dior’s signature bags in the same fabric, including the Saddle, Lady D-Lite and Dior Book Tote with the distinctive Dior Oblique motifs. The bags aptly accompany the ready to wear looks from collection that also feature signature Dior codes, from exclusive bob hats, scarves and other pieces that reflect on the house’s excellence of savour faire. A selection of pieces like the Diorcamp, Lady D-Lite among other may also be personalized using the ABCDior service. The Dior x Harrods Pop Up is currently active and will run until the end of the month.
This summer, Italian fashion house Fendi has joined forces with luxury department store Harrods in London, on the embarkment of an exclusive dining experience.
From July 1st to August 31st, the fashion house has taken over the fifth floor of Harrods and transformed it into a conceptual cafe with the help of LA based visual artist Joshua Vides who re-designs the space according his signature “Reality to Idea” style. As he covers the building’s inside in his unique black and white graphic, while reimagining the iconic double FF logo in monochrome, artist creates an expression of Fendi’s instinct sense of humour and ingenuity. The double FF logo takes centre-stage in the cafe from on walls, to tables, menus , cups, saucers, down to the menu with Fendi logged cappuccinos. The menu is also very important as it gives diners a special taste of genuine Italian cuisine within the hearts of London.
This May, Harrods Knightsbridge is celebrating all things Prada. Throughout the month you’ll find a pop-up store, multiple screen displays, an elegant Marchesi café, and Pradasphere: an exhibition that explores the brand’s multivalent obsessions — from fashion and accessories to art, architecture, cinema, sport and beyond.
The centrepiece of the exhibition comprises of six displays that combine ensembles from various collections and in addition, expect to find heritage items from the archive such as shoes and bags, examples of luxury fabrics and materials as well as a Prada histrory wall that links together the design collections with all the extracurricular projects, from Fondazione Prada to Luna Rossa. There is also a screening room presenting short films from directors such as Roman Polanski, Wes Anderson, Ridley Scott, and Yang Fudong.
The 130m2 pop-up store, located on the Ground Floor of the infamous shopping destination is designed in the classic Prada style and features women’s leather goods, accessories, jewellery and eyewear.
Dior’s status as an icon of French luxury fashion is indisputable, however it is a lesser known fact the designer himself was an enthusiastic Anglophile, often working with the likes of Princess Margaret and Cecil Beaton.
Dior at Harrods has been launched to commemorate this fusion of French style with British charm. More than a mere fashion installation, it is a full immersion into the house’s world of couture, accessories and fragrance with an added quintessentially English touch.
Raf Simons’ designs sit alongside royal beefeaters, Royal Mail postboxes are placed next to artistic reinventions of the Lady Dior handbag and a pop-up café inspired by Salon de Thé culture offers a Parisian take on afternoon tea. The collaboration also marks the exclusive launch of the brand’s new high-end fragrance, Gris Montaigne, a chypre blend of Calabrian bergamot, Turkish rose, patchouli, jasmine sambac and woody moss.
Whether you prefer to start by viewing the Avenue Montaigne facade or admiring the late fashion legend’s personal sketches, there is no better way to spend an afternoon than by getting lost in the far-reaching realms of the Dior universe.
The brainchild of Consuelo Castiglioni, Marni is that quirky Italian label which always manages to put a new spin on its eclectic aesthetic. It’s only natural that the house’s first ever fragrance carry on that tradition.
The subtly masculine scent steers far away from stereotypical smells of femininity such as florals and saccharine sweetness. Instead, the crisp yet spicy top notes of bergamot, ginger and pink peppercorn make way for a rose, cardamom and cinnamon bark concoction, grounded by a woody accord of patchouli, incense, vetiver and cedarwood. So while there is a ‘feminine’ heart of rose notes, it is enveloped in multiple layers of spices and woody notes, making for an elusive, multi-faceted and original scent.
As a house renowned for its use of prints, the polka dot-covered and clean-lined bottle makes the fragrance come full circle to a pure olfactory reincarnation of the Marni brand.
MARNI launches exclusively at Harrods and Harrods.com in February.
Tucked down a side road in Dalston, in a 6000sqft basement is Late Night Chameleon Café. Known by the acronym LN-CC the self-proclaimed ‘retail concept’ opened its doors this month.
The store is the brainchild of former Selfridges and Harrods buyers John Skelton and Daniel Mitchell who enlisted Twin favourite, set designer Gary Card to create the rabbit-warren interior.
A cylindrical corridor leads to the three fashion rooms showcasing the best of cult fashion design. In one room Damir Doma, Rick Owens and Ann Demeulemeester are ready-styled on mannequins or hanging from suspended rails. Emerging brands like Nonnative and SASQUATCHfabrix are in another while in the third room Raf Simons sits alongside Lara Bohinc and Mawi.
There is a fourth ‘Celestial’ space full of rare art, fashion books and records. All the favourites are here and then some: Jean-Michel Basquiat, Phyllis Galembo, Maison Martin Margiela and Harmony Korine.
But it’s the details that set this boutique apart from other retailers. The brands are carefully handpicked, cleverly edited and curated so that the space feels more like a gallery than a boutique. Built-in benches encourage thorough perusal of the records and art books. Oh and did we mention the changing rooms are on wheels?
LN-CC is a shopping landmark in the making; book your appointment now.
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