After nearly a year of anticipation, the Louis Vuitton Vancouver flagship store renovation opened at 730 Burrard Street. Upon opening in the Château-style Fairmont Hotel Vancouver, the newly-expanded store became Louis Vuitton’s largest in Canada. To house the complete menswear collection, the boutique has a second storey (accessed by a custom circular stairway). In-house designers worked with local millworkers to create the wood-and-leather staircase, a significant feat of architectural engineering. The company calls it a “masterpiece of carpentry,” crediting the local artisans who built this new focal point of the store.
The expanded floor plan allows space for the complete range of the Maison’s métiers, including signature leather goods, fragrance, iconic Tambour watches, a wide selection of footwear, skiwear, and men’s ready-to wear.
The men’s collections also include lots of holiday looks and a good range of suiting with whimsical French embroidery. Embellishments on baseball-style jackets include rhinestones, silver studs, and even pearls. Faux fur and suede bomber jackets feature bright colours alongside the signature Louis Vuitton monogram and Blossom insignia.
The footwear department is strong on oversized basketball shoes, men’s slip-on clogs, and Velcro-strap sandals. This being Vancouver, sportswear is also a focus. The LV Ski collection includes ready-to-wear in graphic black-and-white patterns, sleek backpacks, and skis. The store also features a graphic and colourful artwork by a young Indigenous artist, Scott Sueme. Growing up on the unceded territory of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh Nations, he was influenced by Vancouver’s skateboarding and graffiti scenes.
The menswear level boasts the exclusive Objets Nomade collection, with iconic home decor crafted by various internationally-renowned designers. These include a customizable large-scale Marcel Wanders woven leather Diamond Screen, to be used as a room divider. The piece was made on an outsize scale specifically for the store. Near the luggage section, you’ll see a whimsical modular green ‘Bombaco’ sofa by Brazil’s Studio Campana. The store also offers the opportunity for custom painting, hosting a dedicated, Paris-trained artisan to personalize hard-sided trunks.
The expanded space allows for both iconic and timeless Louis Vuitton pieces, as well as timely capsule collections, such as the one for February’s lunar new year. Next time you find yourself in Vancity, this spot is surely worth a trip.
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