Spanish-born, French designer label Balenciaga has opened its largest Australian store at the Westfield Sydney Shopping Centre.
The label held a grand opening event this month, unveiling an exhibition of specially curated archival couture pieces by Cristóbal Balenciaga, along with store exclusives.
All six archival Balenciaga ensembles, once worn by movie stars and socialites, will be exhibited on the upper level in a dedicated showroom.
These looks, displayed alongside archival photographs of the original wearers, include a black velvet evening dress made for Grace Kelly, a white silk suit made for Marlene Dietrich, a red organza gown made for Hélène Abecassis, two evening dresses made for Francine Weisweiller, and a pink satin gown with a black lace jacket made for Annabel Buffet.
Balenciaga’s new store in Sydney covers two levels and offers men’s and women’s ready-to-wear, shoes, bags, accessories, eyewear, jewellery and its brand-new fragrance range.
The store’s design follows the brand’s experiential ‘Raw Architecture’ concept, which includes a mixed-material approach across cool and warm colourways. Its street-facing exterior includes the building’s raked façade. Concrete façades are fixed with illuminated Balenciaga signs and HD screens.
Inside, block seating is loosely upholstered in faux leather. Structural columns, partitions, and displays are covered with intentionally weathered industrial materials.
Other key store elements include taupe carpet, steel tables and warm-tinted glass wall covers, alongside an open, gridded ceiling.
Matched with the unveiling of 10 new fragrances, the store also opens with two exclusive charms – one featuring the word Sydney in silicone and another being a miniature Sydney postcard. Each comes with a set of logo-stamped keys.