All eyes are on Louis Vuitton as an expansive Art Nouveau building on Paris’ Champs-Élysées goes behind an extravagant temporary façade resembling the maison’s iconic monogram trunk
Louis Vuitton could be the latest luxury fashion house to cross into the five-star hotel space, following in the footsteps of maisons such as Bulgari, Armani, and Versace.
The fashion and accessories brand has taken over an expansive building totalling 22,000m2 at 103 avenue des Champs-Élysées in Paris, which was previously slated to house the new HQ for the Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy (LVMH)-owned house of Dior. The building “will ultimately serve as the site of a new project for the Maison”, according to Louis Vuitton.
In a move that is perhaps suggestive of its forthcoming use, Louis Vuitton will cover the façade of the Art Nouveau building—previously wrapped with Dior branding—in a temporary installation that resembles an oversized metallic version of its iconic monogram trunk: “This temporary façade is directly inspired by the Maison’s trunks which were once used by explorers and are now carefully kept in its archives”, says the brand.
WWD reports that a construction permit, registered with City of Paris, lists “retail, hotel accommodation, the construction of a basement level and interior courtyard” as purposes for the development.
Louis Vuitton’s Paris Fashion Week show, showcasing the Women’s Spring-Summer 2024 collection under artistic director Nicolas Ghesquière, was hosted in the currently-under-renovation building on 2 October. Models walked down a runway that resembled wooden pallets, with the walls, windows, and ceiling covered in orange. All the materials that are used in the façade construction at 103 avenue des Champs-Elysées will later be reused or recycled.
The transformation is occurring under the leadership of CEO Pietro Beccari, who took the helm at the luxury Maison following a tenure at Dior, where he conceived such projects as the Dior Suite—a luxury apartment atop the Maison’s flagship at 30 Avenue Montaigne, itself a behemoth, multi-use shopping and dining destination.
While the development’s future use hasn’t been confirmed, nor has a reveal date been announced, the renovation is underway as Paris readies itself to host the 2024 Olympic Games.
LVMH’s current hospitality portfolio includes the ultra-luxury resort brand Cheval Blanc, which opened a Parisian hotel in 2021 alongside a huge redevelopment of the heritage department store, La Samaritaine; the luxury hotel, train, and cruise company, Belmond; and Bulgari Hotels & Resorts, with 13 global locations — including a new hotel in Rome.