Stella McCartney Florence store opens

Stella McCartney has opened her first store in Florence on Via dei Tosinghi 52r within the city’s historic centre and a stone’s-throw away from the famous Basilica di Santa Maria Novella.

The Stella McCartney Florence store is the brand’s third location in Italy, and follows the new design concept introduced at the opening of the Paris Rue Saint Honoré location last month.

Two additional stores in the US with the new concept will follow by mid July: at South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa, California, and at 929 Madison Avenue in New York City.  This recent retail expansion continues on the brand’s official takeover of their store operations in Hong Kong last summer which included 3 free-standing store locations.

“The new store designs reflect the brand’s commitment to sustainability within an intimate, personal and architectural atmosphere,” the company said in a statement.

The new concept draws inspiration from Stella’s personal archive of images with designs that bring a textural human-scale experience to a retail environment.

“A considered effort has been made to move away from traditional luxury materials, and to use more handmade, organic and sustainably sourced elements. Bespoke fluted ceramic tiles, reclaimed timber and textural cast concrete intertwine with fun surprises in the designer’s signature pared-back colour palette.

The Stella McCartney Florence store covers 200 sqm spread over two floors, fronted by five tall street-facing windows that bring in a significant amount of natural light into the raw yet polished space. The interior is defined by a central spiral staircase covered in “Fur Free Fur”,  reflecting Stella’s stance on cruelty-free fashion. An intricate brass rail system connects various product categories of the store and creates “a journey throughout the space”.

“The muted backdrop becomes a canvas to showcase the modern and sophisticated women’s and men’s ready-to-wear and accessories including the iconic Falabella bag and the Sneak-Elyse, a new version of the popular Elyse platform shoe, as well as lingerie, swim, kid’s collections and fragrance,” the company explained.

The freestanding Florence store follows shops at via Santo Spirito 3 in Milan and Via Borgognona 6 in Rome.

Stella McCartney also distributes in Italy via a shop-in-shop at La Rinascente in Milan and other select multi-brand stores as well as online.

By the end of July, the designer will have 51 freestanding stores worldwide.

Stella McCartney is a 50/50 joint venture partnership between Stella McCartney and Kering established in 2001.

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