Renovated, expanded boutique reopens at Fairmont Vancouver.
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Gucci first set up shop in Vancouver in April 2005 with a store located at the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver.
Seventeen years later, the Italian luxury fashion brand is reopening that original location at 900 West Georgia St. following a renovation and expansion that sees the boutique footprint ring in an impressive 10,000 square feet. During the renovation process, the brand had been operating out of a temporary boutique on Thurlow St.
The investment in the original retail location underscores the emphasis that Susan Chokachi, president and CEO of Gucci Americas, says the fashion house is placing on the city, and Canada.
“The Canadian market has grown as an important market for Gucci,” Chokachi said via email. “The new space represents the brand’s latest design expression, showcasing the elegant and contemporary eclecticism that characterizes Gucci.”
Founded in Florence, Italy in 1921 by Guccio Gucci, the company is known for its iconic accessory silhouettes, quirky fashion designs, and recognizable monogram motifs. The fashion house was also the subject of the 2021 Ridley Scott film House of Gucci, starring Lady Gaga, which served to further propel buzz surrounding the brand.
In the revamped Vancouver boutique, shoppers will have access to the fashion house’s “full offering” of products, including women’s ready-to-wear, handbags and accessories, men’s and women’s shoes, luggage, and Gucci home décor.
For the first time, men’s ready-to-wear will also be available in the city.
“We are excited to share that the new store will feature the full range of our collection designed by Gucci Creative Director Alessandro Michele, including the debut of men’s ready-to-wear in Vancouver and a strong assortment of luggage and travel pieces, speaking to the store’s location within the iconic Fairmont Hotel,” Chokachi says of the selection.
Designed in a way that favours “discretion,” according to the brand, the boutique features geometric painted wood floors and marble detailing and rich colours, paired with plush upholstered detailing on the walls.
Expansion plans have been in play for the brand in Vancouver since before 2020, according to Chokachi. But the pandemic’s arrival provided the luxury brand with the opportunity to further push the expansion and overhaul.
“We saw an opportunity to accelerate the renovation in Vancouver to strengthen our position as we emerged from the pandemic,” Chokachi says.
Gucci operates a shop-in-shop boutique at Holt Renfrew in Vancouver, but the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver location is its only standalone store. The opportunity to revamp the retail location, while also furthering its foothold in the city was a major draw, according to Chokachi.
“This store is our only directly operated store in Vancouver, a city rich in history, culture, and commerce, and will continue to be a key piece of our larger Canadian strategy,” she says.
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