French Fashion House Courrèges Opens First West Coast Outlet in California’s South Coast Plaza
Courrèges, the exclusive French fashion label, has made a return to California’s retail sector by opening an outlet in South Coast Plaza. This marks its first West Coast outpost in decades. Interestingly, Courrèges was one of the initial European fashion brands to establish a presence at the famous mall, which was fairly new in 1975.
Now, the boutique is strategically located on the second level of the luxury mall, next to the widely patronized Din Tai Fung restaurant. The store is surrounded by a range of other luxury fashion brands, including Amiri, Gentle Monster, Palm Angels, and Alexander Wang, among others.
Adrien Da Maia, Chief Executive of Courrèges, who assumed the role in 2020, highlighted the significance of the location, saying, “Opening at South Coast Plaza is strategic for Courrèges because of its historical presence in this special community. But it is also because of the fast-rising awareness of Courrèges among international customers from Asia and Latin America who shop massively at South Coast Plaza.”
Nicolas Di Felice is the artistic director for Courrèges, which is based in Paris. The boutique’s space was fashioned by Belgian architect Bernard Dubois, consisting of chrome pillars, mirrored ceilings, dressing rooms, and heritage white flooring. This design equally characterizes the new Courrèges flagship in Paris’s Marais District.
Furniture and railings, in a tone-on-tone white scheme, form part of the store’s calming ambience, prominently displaying the collection’s chiefly black and white designs. An expansive island located centrally conceals accessories as well as jewelry, effectually dividing the sections for men’s and women’s wears.
Having just one other American store, in Manhattan’s SoHo district, Courrèges’ presence in the U.S. is quite rare. Nonetheless, plans are in place to increase the brand’s U.S. footprint, marking it as a priority market. The brand also plans to open additional stores in the future.
By fall, Courrèges is set to have ten directly operated outlets, with a second store in South Korea. Additionally, a new retail shop-in-shop in Japan is set to launch in October.
The label was founded by André Courrèges in 1961. Known for popularizing the miniskirt and go-go boot, his signature geometric designs introduced a ‘Space Age’ aesthetic to fashion. The designer sold his label in 2011, and passed away five years later. By 2018, the majority ownership had moved to Group Artémis, the private investment arm of Kering’s Pinault family, which has been instrumental in reviving the brand.
As artistic director, Di Felice has contributed to the house’s revenue growth with innovative designs such as glossy vinyl re-edition jackets, sexy cutouts, and the new Holy bag, which has been sported by celebrities including Hailey Bieber and Dua Lipa.