Ideally located in the heart of the French capital’s Golden Triangle, near the Champs-Elysées at 31 Avenue
George V, the new ELIE SAAB boutique provides the ideal showcase for the House’s creations.
Architectural volumes, sculpted in contemporary style, accentuate the space. Light is an essential element. Constructed in noble materials, the new premises are underpinned by the precise idiom of the fashion collections: impeccable finishings, graphic details, and an overall effect that is rare and unique.
Created by the agency RDAI, the boutique marks the beginning of a new era for the ELIE SAAB House:
it inaugurates a generation of shops that project the brand’s universe in an architectural space.
We designed the interior giving importance to architectural features, and creating a showcase which reveals the femininity of the clothes,” says Denis Montel, architect and artistic director of the agency RDAI.
The result of a close collaboration between Elie Saab and Denis Montel, this project represents the fusion of
two aesthetics. Montel’s approach was informed by a trip to Lebanon, where he was inspired by the light travertine aesthetic of the House’s universe as well as the luminous, refined atmosphere of Elie Saab’s private
residence in Beirut, in the heart of the Gemmayze district. Reflecting this lifestyle in a contemporary way, the shop is the meeting point for a shared architectural vision.
Extending from the Four Seasons Hotel George V, the boutique is situated on the ground floor behind eight bay windows outlined in original elegant wrought iron. Originally inaugurated in May 1928, the building was conceived by the French architects Lefranc and Wybo as a private mansion and was ahead of its time in terms of modern design. The decorative motifs of the façade, now classified heritage, express an Art Deco style.
In the entrance of the boutique, the double ceiling height features a dome of sand-colored stone stucco; it
accommodates a 1960s chandelier in brass and Murano glass. On either side of this bright entrance, the retail
space is arrayed in an L shape: the two parts are unified by six window displays. Treated as portals of light, the
windows feature frosted mirror panels, etched with brass.
The floor and walls are covered with crema delicato marble, infusing the ensemble with a mineral atmosphere.
A simultaneously subtle and impressive grooved stone stucco framework decorates the ceiling.
Creating perspective, it gives the two elongated spaces a modern and dynamic presence. The marble is highlighted by two intersecting graphic patterns and marked on floors and walls with gold inserts; they outline volumes and
give them consistency. The result of meticulous craftsmanship, these inserts allude to the tailoring skills inherent to the House’s savoir-faire.
A palette of light shades – white marble, sandy stone stucco, frosted mirror – set the tone for a stylish canvas
textured by brass threads, bronze-like graphic suspensions, and furniture in walnut and glass. Softened by
natural light, the decor as a whole highlights the collections and prints of the season. The contrast between
fashion and architecture plays perfectly: the femininity and delicacy of the designs harmonize with the architectural volumes. Within this light-filled showcase, the clothes are clearly revealed.
At each end of the boutique are two large mirrors engraved with streaks of gold and silver that catch the eye
and are mounted with wide video screens. The projected images, like an animated painting, create a vibrant
atmosphere. The store’s made-to-measure furniture adds to the effect: walnut console tables with display
cases and dark bronze finish punctuate the space. Other pieces specifically designed for the space include
bronze coffee tables covered with veined Portoro marble and a mohair velvet sofa.
In situ, the ready-to-wear and accessories collections of the season are presented graphically on metal rods
and shelves, along the white marble walls. Housed in walnut, dark bronze brass and glass display cases, the
leather accessories, silk scarves, shoes, jewelry and fragrances are arrayed throughout the space. The new
boutique’s range complements that of the store at the Rond-Point des Champs-Elysées. With its additional
perspective on the ready-to-wear collections and accessories, the George V store offers a new shopping
Arriving at the fitting rooms, a succession of mirrored screens forms a corridor: altering perspectives, it marks a
break from the rest of the boutique. Sleek oval cubicles come into view, their walls softened by large, leafshaped
panels covered in astrakhan-textured light taupe velvet. As a final accent to the feeling of private space, a mirror opens out into a triptych.
The second ELIE SAAB boutique in Paris puts architecture at the heart of its endeavor in order to highlight the
House’s ready-to-wear and accessories collections.