Chanel’s New York Nouveau

Fifth Avenue, New York, has become an even more glittery affair after Chanel has recently planted its très chic footprint with a new flagship dedicated solely to Watches and Fine Jewellery. This isn’t just any boutique—it’s a veritable temple to all things Chanel.

Designed by Peter Marino, the space is a golden jewel box amidst the concrete jungle. The boutique, a nod to Chanel’s legendary address at 18 Place Vendôme, is essentially Coco Chanel’s mood board come to life. Think her love for the number 5, art, and those lavish interiors of her Parisian pad, but on Fifth Avenue.

The exterior, framed by the Beaux-Arts architecture of the Crown Building, is all about honed and grooved black granite and gold bronze screens that scream “I’m expensive” in the most refined way possible. Inside, it’s a world where gold and black reign supreme. The boutique’s entryway, with its black and gold lacquer panelling, is so elegantly dramatic, that one might need a moment to compose themselves before proceeding on to the gallery room with its “Dream Catcher” chandeliers—because why have mere lighting when you can have art? The Fine Jewellery Salons are a testament to the fact that too much is never enough, with coromandel-style finishes and a gilt mirror that probably has more stories to tell than your average socialite.

Upstairs, the Watch Salon awaits with a custom polyptych that’s so artfully done, that it might just make you forget you’re in a boutique and not a gallery. The mezzanine floor, with its Tang Dynasty camels and a Louis XV desk, is where modern meets ancient, and everything is casually draped in diamonds because, of course, it is.

So, if you find yourself wandering Fifth Avenue come February, do stop by Chanel’s new flagship. It’s not just a store; it’s an experience—a glittering, golden, slightly over-the-top experience that only Chanel could deliver.