Off-White opens first store in Paris

Off-White has opened its first flagship store in Paris. The street-couture label designed by Virgil Abloh, who is also the creative director of menswear for Louis Vuitton, has picked a prestigious location for its first Parisian address, opening in a 19th century building at the intersection of rue de Castiglione and rue du Mont Thabor.

The store extends over three floors, with interiors designed by Dutch architecture studio OMA, of renowned architect Rem Koolhas, which also took care of Off-White's Miami store. Each floor has its own specific ambience and personality, featuring a courtyard, a market, a gallery and a stage. In a press release, the label said that each room reflects Off-White’s diversified identity.

The ground floor, with the entrance on rue de Castiglione, is focused on creativity. Abloh wants this space to be “an incubator for new talents, a cultural connection point within the community and an experimental laboratory for creativity and innovation.” It will showcase the most exclusive, experimental items by Off-White, as well as products by talented local designers, acting as a “hub for collaborations and special projects.”

The entrance on rue du Mont Thabor leads to an entirely different space, decorated in light blue hues. It is home to Off-White’s main collaborations, and features the inevitable Nike corner, showcasing a selection of sneakers designed by Abloh for the US sport brand.

Upstairs, the store hosts the label's various collections (for men, women and children) and its full range of product categories, while the third floor takes visitors all the way back to Off-White’s roots, featuring the most iconic items designed by Abloh, from jeans to sneakers. There is also a café, operated jointly with % Arabica Kyoto, a Japanese chain founded by Kenneth Shoji.

With this store, Abloh, who already had a presence in Paris via several concessions in the city’s leading department stores, has reached a new milestone on the way to further establishing Off-White's luxury credentials.

Off-White opens first store in Paris

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