Indeed, 2021 just got started, but this already seems to be the grandest store opening of the year in Paris, and it’s one that could potentially go down in history books as the event that also kickstarted shopping since the pandemic in this major luxury hub. We’re talking the new Kith store which occupies no less than 1,487 sqm. (16,000 sq.ft.) spread across three floors of Pershing Hall, an ornate late 18th-century building just south of iconic avenue des Champs-Elysées. One brief look at the façade, and you instantly know why this is the retailer’s grandest flagship store to date, but it’s the indoor settings which make it a shopping experience extraordinaire. The store’s interior design is Kith‘s latest collaboration with New York City-based practice Snarkitecture, and shoppers are greeted by its signature whimsicality when entering the premises by way of an imposing archway of suspended sneakers. The ground floor is anchored not by retail, but by the first and only European outpost of Sadelle’s, a popular brunch institution from the Big Apple and surely to become a destination in its own right. The restaurant occupies the building’s light and airy glass-roofed patio, featuring a chic enclosed setting lined by tufted benches, round brass tables and rattan chairs, and most notably, a full-fledged bar with a spectacularly lush double-height vertical garden by renowned botanist Patrick Blanc.

Also to be found on the ground floor is a Kith Treats counter of marble and steel serving ice cream and cereals, including signature varieties and special concoctions by the brand’s inner circle of famous friends, in addition to its very own apparel releases, and a lounge-like section brimming with books and accessories. A grand marble staircase leads to the upper floor where shoppers are met by a large custom chandelier of Airmax 1 shoes. Here, Kith‘s tightly curated apparel and footwear for men, women and kids, presented across a number of beautifully designed rooms, each featuring a distinct setting. The men’s apparel space is crafted with walnut wood panelling and brass racks, while the adjacent women’s apparel space features a custom walnut and marble staircase opening into a mirrored room with multi-coloured herringbone marble-tiled floors. Across a mezzanine overlooking the courtyard is the footwear room, which features three oversized coloured benches in the centre. Last but not least, the store’s basement presents a rotating activation space where immersive and experiential touch points align with Kith’s latest releases and partnerships. In celebration of Kith‘s newest retail space, the company has collaborated with Nike to create a collaborative Air Force 1 shoe inspired by the French Tricolore which will be sold exclusively on the premises.

Designed by

Snarkitecture

Images © Kith

Photography: Stéphane Muratet