Hermès Creates Luxury Palace on New York’s Madison Avenue
Hermès delivered a clear message about the viability of physical retail stores with the September opening of its long-awaited, massive new Madison Avenue flagship.
After more than eight years of planning, the French fashion house opened the doors to a seven-story, 45,000-square-foot monument to luxury at 706 Madison Avenue at 63rd Street. From the outdoor gardens and the cavalier on horseback on the roof to the expansive assortment that includes everything from saddles and dog beds to leather goods, diamond watches, rolling suitcases and ready-to-wear and accessories for men and women, the store joins the Ginza in Tokyo as the largest in the company’s 300-plus-unit fleet.
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Four of the floors, or some 20,250 square feet, are devoted to selling space and a fifth is dedicated exclusively to repairs of Hermès products as well as artisan studios. The two lower levels are offices and stockrooms.
“There is no better tribute to retail,” says Florian Craen, executive vice president of sales and distribution at Hermès International. “Not only does it offer room for all our métiers, but it also offers the opportunity for enchanted discoveries and a place to smile.”
The store encompasses three buildings, one a former bank built in the Federalist style that dates to 1921 and two adjacent town houses that create an L-shape around the bank. It was designed by the Parisian architectural firm RDAI that was founded by Rena Dumas, the wife of the former chief executive officer of Hermès, and replaces two smaller Hermès stores — one for menswear and the other for women’s — that have now been closed.
One entrance is dedicated to the men’s store, which has seen the biggest change, expanding from around 3,000 square feet to more than 6,000 square feet over two floors.
“We’re really excited about bringing men’s and women’s together again; they’ve been separate since 2010,” says Robert Chavez, president and CEO of Hermès USA. “That’s going to be a dynamic change for us. The other thing that is new for us are these multi-product displays so people get a feeling for the extent of the offering that we have.”
In the men’s department, that includes neckwear, shirts, accessories and fragrances in addition to apparel.
The other entrance offers a preview of some of the highlights from each of the brand’s métiers, or departments, with scarves, jewelry, apparel, leather goods and beauty products all being offered. The main floor also features fragrances and makeup stations.
In addition to the products, the newly created repair department on the fifth floor is now the main repair site in the U.S., and there is a concierge, VIP rooms in each department as well as bars on each floor.
Throughout the store are more than 150 paintings and pieces of art, including a child’s hansom cab from 1830s London on the main floor that pays tribute to both Hermès’ heritage as well as New York City cabs.
Some of the features of the former bank building were retained, including a plaque at the rear of the main floor dedicated to the founders of the Bank of New York, including Alexander Hamilton; the original staircase; the grillwork from the former entry to the safe deposit box area, and an antique clock that is still on the wall set to 7:06.
“It’s part of American history,” Craen says.
The back of the men’s department also showcases some of the brand’s creative offerings such as bicycles, roller skates, skateboards, boxing gloves, dog tents and other novelty items. A selection of saddles is on display here too.
“That’s where we came from,” Craen says, adding that Hermès continues to provide equipment for the best riders in the world.
The second floor is a “men’s universe,” Craen says, showcasing ready-to-wear and footwear along with watches, gloves, bags, fragrances and a made-to-measure salon where customers can create their own suits, shirts, knitwear and other products.
Upon climbing the Portugese limestone staircase to the second floor adjacent to the men’s store is the home area with its assortment of dishes, blankets and furniture.
The third floor is home to a large fine jewelry and watch department. “We’re able to showcase fine jewelry like never before,” Craen says. There is also a large women’s accessories area for gloves, belts, hats and other products as well as the ready-to-wear. “No other Hermès store can present such a diversity of offering.”
The fourth floor is dedicated to leather goods and has a giant glass-fiber bas-relief wall designed from ink drawings by French artist Francois Houtin that feature American trees. A large skylight brings sun and light to the floor. The piece de resistance is a Miranda Brooks-designed roof garden that will be used to host special events and will also be open to clients.
Throughout the store are several seating areas where customers are invited to sit and relax. “We love to see our customers spending time here,” Craen says. “The only reason for a store to exist today is to offer special moments that the digital world cannot offer.”
Craen says one of the primary reasons for selecting this location was not only its size but also the “characteristic of the building itself,” with its many windows that allow the light to flow in.
“It’s a very New York feeling that makes it feel more like an apartment.”
There are 32 stores in the U.S., Chavez says, which means there is “enormous potential to grow.” Some of the most recent additions include the 7,600-square-foot Austin, Texas, store that is not located in a luxury mall, but on South Congress Avenue, with its lively music and restaurant scene. “It’s a little bit of a renegade, but the response has been phenomenal.”
Other small stores are slated to open in Princeton’s Palmer Square, he said, as well as Aspen, Colorado, and Williamsburg in Brooklyn, New York.
Craen says that while retail may be garnering the most attention of late, Hermès remains first and foremost a manufacturing company. As a result, it will continue to explore additional products and categories.
“There’s a constant flow of new product coming up so there will be a lot of extension of existing categories for sure in the future,” he says.
