The plans reflect a growing push by fashion and luxury brands into hospitality, as consumers increase spending on experiences.

“That’s what our clients want from us. They want a 24/7 relationship”

The Chairman and CEO of Louis Vuitton revealed plans to transform Louis Vuitton’s corporate offices into a sprawling complex including the world’s first Louis Vuitton Hotel and its largest store worldwide. “It is the most spectacular view in the world,” he said, describing a panorama stretching from the Eiffel Tower to Notre-Dame de Paris, not to mention the neighboring Church of Saint-Germain l’Auxerrois, which dates back to the 13th century.

Parent company LVMH has radically transformed the surrounding neighborhood in the last 18 months with the unveiling of the renovated La Samaritaine department store and Cheval Blanc hotel, and the opening of the first Paris branch of its Italian pastry stores, Cova.

“Parisians are finally rediscovering it. They’ve embraced it. There’s street music now at 11 p.m. outside here. When we took it over, this was a no man’s land, if not worse. Nobody in their right mind would walk here in the night,” Burke said. “My dream was to create a renaissance of the original commercial downtown of Paris,” he added.  “It’s been Bernard’s vision all along and we’re halfway there. It’ll take another 10, 15 years to take it to where we think it should be.”

On Tuesday, Vuitton will hold an event to inaugurate an experiential space dubbed LV Dream as the first step toward its ambitious transformation of the 400,000-square-foot headquarters.

“I’ve told Bernard, you know, my office is not going to be my office within five years, that’s for sure. There’s better uses, more contemporary uses for it than a corporate office,” Burke said.

(Source)