With a Musical Block Party Extravaganza, Hermès Feted its New (and Marvelous) Madison Avenue Home
When your new store takes up nearly an entire block, the obvious way to celebrate its opening is with a block party. And on Thursday evening, Hermès did precisely that, feting its new home at 706 Madison Avenue (which stands just a block north of its former Upper East Side flagship) with a very Hermès party—meaning, luxury around every corner and no detail unnoticed. Though Hermès took things a step further, adding a theatrical narrative and Broadway-style performances which unfolded over the course of the evening like a fashion heaven extravaganza.
The festivities kicked off around 7:30 pm though, earlier in the day, Hermès CEO Robert Chavez, among others, snipped an oversized brown and white grosgrain ribbon (the very same used to wrap up Hermès’s elegant orange boxes) in an official ribbon-cutting ceremony. Guests were welcomed to tour the new store, which unfolds across three buildings that make an L shape at the southwest corner of Madison Avenue and 63rd Street. The building’s main structure dates back to 1921, a Federalist-style building erected to house the Bank of New York; the two adjoining structures were formerly townhouses that architecture agency RDAI, led by Denis Montel, melded into one brilliant shrine to all things Hermès: silk, leathergoods, equestrian accouterments, and artisanship—five artisans from different métiers of the house will be in residence on the property.
Taking it all in on Thursday night were Grace Coddington, Chloe Fineman, Nicky Hilton Rothschild, Martha Stewart, Sarah Hoover, Jenna Lyons, and Charlotte Groeneveld. The theatrical itinerary began indoors—guests were greeted by Max, a fictional store manager, and his ex-girlfriend Joanna, a journalist present to report on Hermès’s new retail digs. There was also a full cast of Hermès-outfitted shopgirls and boys who belted out into song on numerous occasions. All the while, attendees could tour the store, which is set up like a series of salons within Art Deco interiors—standout elements include a tile floor arranged in Hermès’s signature mosaic and a garden terrace which will be reserved for VICs.
After a spin around the shop, the crowd spilled out onto 63rd Street, which had been shut down for the glamorous occasion, to enjoy more performances and very New York bites—Katz’s pastrami sandwiches and wedges of Junior’s cheesecake. The entire evening, which was marvelously photogenic, epitomized Hermès’s attention to detail and experience. The luxury maison first arrived in New York City in the late 1920s and currently has outposts across the New York Stock Exchange and in the Meatpacking District. This new and expanded Madison Avenue outpost is a welcomed addition to the neighborhood, and one step further into Hermès’s plans to paint the town orange.
Hermès 706 Madison Avenue opens tomrrow.
For all the latest fasion News Click Here