Chanel Boutique joins the Art Precinct of Melbourne
Through the windows of fluoro’s Melbourne Headquarters, we watched the neighbouring heritage listed 140 Flinders Lane building transform, bringing a little bit of Paris to Melbourne.
Like the fashion house, the building itself has a rich history, housing a bank during the late 1800s. The original building, designed by H.W. & F.B. Tomkins architects, featured a row of pillars on the building’s façade that are still visible today. The 2013 refurbishment saw an additional floor constructed on the roof along with the creation of a roof top garden. The formation of balconettes and enlargement of the first and second floor windows recall an elegant Parisian façade, yet still maintain the heritage of the space echoing its former glory.
The Melbourne flagship boutique draws inspiration from Mademoiselle Chanel’s Parisian apartment on 31, rue Cambon, combining intimacy and elegance into each of the defined rooms. The 620 square-metre boutique features precious materials such as soft gold and bronze, intriguing textures and reflective surfaces like glass, lacquer and mirror glass, which contrast the highly polished and architectural with the artisanal.
New York based Architect Peter Marino created the latest vision for Chanel and has worked with the house on numerous spaces. Known for his lavish interiors, he has created personal spaces for personalities including Andy Warhol and Yves Saint Laurent.
In a fitting addition to the Flinders Lane art precinct, the space also holds a selection of specially commissioned works of art. Lamps by Goossens and furniture by Laurence Montano and Ingrid Donat are on display. Positioned on the wall of the staircase is a feature piece by Aboriginal artist Dorothy Napangardi titled ‘Karlangu’.
The boutique showcases the Chanel universe and all of Karl Lagerfeld’s latest creations – Ready-to-Wear, handbags, shoes and accessories – as well as fine jewellery, watches and fragrance. A limited edition Boy Chanel bag marks the occasion, designed by Karl Lagerfeld the bag was created from metallic python skin and is signed ‘Exclusive Edition Melbourne’.
The Chanel Melbourne flagship boutique officially opened today and is located at 140 Flinders Lane, Melbourne, Australia.
