Vision Magazine
T
his fashion retailer is a byword for haute couture
whose founder championed simplicity. Her
philosophy of quality before quantity shaped
unprecedented brand recognition. So much so she
was the only fashion designer in Time magazine’s list
of the 20th century’s 100 Most Influential People.
The empire continues to remain true to its origins
of classic perfumes and fashion apparel. Its retail
stores have plenty to live up to reflecting a 105-year
history with a timeless heartbeat.
The firm’s new Melbourne storefront on the corner
of Russell St. and Flinders Lane is in the classic mould
and almost anti-fashion with its preference for the
golden age of elegance and grandeur rather than
busy geometries, or giddy facades.
This former bank building most recently
Scientology headquarters, appeared to be stumbling
towards oblivion, or party mask. Developer
extraordinaire David Marriner saw potential not
readily apparent to others and realised a sharp
connection with the Paris-bred brand.
In the process, Marriner sought the services of
Melbourne’s Trethowan Architecture to help reinstate
a building that had fallen on hard times. Working with
New York interiors architect Peter Marino, Trethowan
capture the grand, boom-time Melbourne prior to
Flinders Lane transition as rag-trade strip.
Classical façade elements are punctuated with
Viridian’s AssaultGuardTM impact resistant glass to
protect the store’s high-end merchandise without