British clothes designer Vivienne Westwood recently opened her first French flagship store in a building dating from 1830 on rue Saint-Honoré. Designed by SO/AP Architectes with Fortebis, it combines robust, raw and natural materials, such as resin, steel and plywood, to create a pared-down, industrial space ideally suited to Westwood’s avant-garde elegance. Created in her own image, the store mixes couture with 17th-18th century styles and a hint of punk. A devoted activist, the designer is also a human rights and environmental campaigner. The 300 sq.m. space is disposed over two floors showcasing collections for men and women, accessories and ready-to-wear ranges by Andreas Kronthaler, her design partner and husband, and now the label’s creative director. The Anglomania line can be admired in a private salon.
