Balenciaga Opens First Chicago Store
Balenciaga opened a stand-alone store in Chicago Tuesday at 15 East Oak Street.
The two-level, 6,900-square-foot store offers Balenciaga’s women’s and men’s ready-to-wear, shoes, bags, accessories, eyewear and jewelry.
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The shop, which is Balenciaga’s first in Chicago, will open with summer 2024 and fall 2024 collections and the latest Le City and Rodeo handbags.
The store features the brand’s Raw Architecture concept, conceived to question the nature of authenticity by leaving surfaces intentionally untreated and by adding evocative details such as rough edges, free-standing partitions and a distinctive amalgamation of materials, according to the company.
The store has vast brushed concrete floors that resemble sidewalk tiles, while walls are made of concrete or cement board panels, creating the illusion of a liminal indoor/outdoor space.
A large-scale luminous ceiling hangs over the areas of congregation, the shoe section, the staircase and the fitting rooms. Elsewhere is suspended ceiling mesh, industrial lighting systems and other technical systems.
Another feature are hot rolled metal tables, angel hair-finish metal shelving and hanging racks, which evoke the atmosphere of a warehouse or studio.
Throughout the store is seating that’s upholstered in recycled leather. Underlit shelving, panes of smoked glass, an inlaid carpet and high-definition screens lend themselves to the modern environment.
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