Maison Margiela Opens First Venice Boutique
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MILAN — Maison Margiela has opened its first boutique in Venice and the address could not be more iconic, as it stands on Piazza San Marco, a symbol of the city.
The store, which covers 539 square feet and reflects the vision of the house’s creative director John Galliano, carries the brand’s accessories, small leather goods, shoes and fragrances, along with a selection of ready-to-wear.
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The existing facade and painted glass windows have been refurbished in keeping with the historic elements, while new doors and window frames made of a coated dark brass material have been added.
The store pays tribute to Venetian craftsmanship, as the Venetian terrazzo floor made on site comprises marble granules up to 40 millimeters in diameter, bound together by a compound based on pebble lime or cement mixed with fine gravel and opus signinum. This is an antique flooring technique that sees the addition of small pieces of broken pot, including amphorae, colored glass, tiles or brick, to cement. The terrazzo is then beaten, polished, coated with linseed oil and finally waxed.
The boutique’s furniture, including a ready-to-wear corner and bespoke small leather goods units, is made of travertine marble filled with white epoxy, further magnified by a full mirrored wall.
The uniqueness of this store, with its vaulted ceiling and special location, is emphasized by a couple of dedicated and numbered products: a Maison Margiela by Venini glass, made in Murano and limited to 30 editions, as well as several white busts made of gypsum mineral, with three of the designs imprinted with Merletti lace made in Burano.
In November last year, Margiela opened its newly renovated flagship in Milan on Via Sant’Andrea, a few steps away from tony Via Montenapoleone. The store followed the Anne Holtrop blueprint, which first debuted with the Bruton Street store in London, followed by Avenue Montaigne in Paris, then Osaka and Shanghai.
Maison Margiela owns and operates 120 stores worldwide, and parent company OTB has been expanding the brand’s retail footprint over the past few years, with units opening in Honolulu, Hawaii, and Dallas, as well as in Los Angeles. Maison Margiela’s largest store is located at JC Plaza in Shanghai, spanning over two floors with an area dedicated to VIC and an experiential space.
OTB became the main shareholder of Maison Margiela in 2002 and took full control in 2006. The brand’s revenues rose 24 percent last year compared with 2021, although the group does not disclose sales by label.
Jil Sander, Maison Margiela and Marni make up OTB’s luxury segment, which reported a 32 percent growth from 2021. In an interview with WWD earlier this year, asked which brand weighs more on the top line, group CEO Ubaldo Minelli said Maison Margiela, but he noted that this “is directly proportional to the date of the acquisition of each label.” OTB also controls the Diesel and Viktor & Rolf brands, the Staff International and Brave Kid production arms, and has a minority stake in Amiri.
Under the creative direction of Galliano since 2014, the brand inaugurated new Paris headquarters in Place des États-Unis in the 16th arrondissement in January.
In July, setting the stage for a new development thrust, Maison Margiela recruited seasoned luxury executive Gaetano Sciuto as its new chief executive officer. Sciuto joined the house from Giorgio Armani, where he had been CEO of its Americas division since 2019. Before that, he was president of Fendi Americas for five years.
In addition, Renzo Rosso, founder of OTB, relinquished his title as chairman of Maison Margiela after 21 years to his son Stefano Rosso. Rosso navigated the company through the 2009 retirement of founder Martin Margiela and recruited Galliano.
At Margiela, Sciuto succeeded Gianfranco Gianangeli.
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