Michael Kors launched its new Collection store concept in London’s Mayfair today.
The cozy unit, in a Georgian townhouse, spans 2,939 square feet over four floors, with accessories on the ground, women’s ready-to-wear on the first, men’s on the second and a VIP space on the third.
Kors fell for the Georgian townhouse on Old Bond Street immediately, owing to its charming façade, and set about making it feel like home. “We wanted to achieve a sense of residential ease with a personal touch, like you’re relaxing in your own living room, or mine,” Kors tells Vogue ahead of the ribbon cutting. “We all live such busy lives – I think our customers will appreciate being able to step inside and feel a world away from the bustle of the city.”
The new store features a floral facade and mannequin headdresses featuring 9,500 stems by Harlequin Design.
Kors drew on the “warm modernist” interiors of his cross-coastal homes more than he has done before for his 1,000-plus stores. “I prefer design and décor that is streamlined but still inviting,” he muses. “I have taken the same sensibility and infused it into our store, with a neutral palette, landscape artwork and rich wood, steel and marble finishes throughout.”
As well as the “fabulous neutral linen and cream leather touches for glamour”, Kors instructed his team to embrace the history of the building and its features, including the original fireplaces and brass fixtures. “Everything has been customised though, from the hangers to the Eero Saarinen chairs, which we have had reupholstered,” he says keenly. “This is a new store concept for us and I think that it demonstrates how we see luxury today.”
