Louis Vuitton’s flagship Fifth Avenue store may be covered in a giant trunk, but it’s far from packed.
On Friday, the luxury brand opened its new temporary location — its Fifth Avenue flagship, currently covered in scaffolding that looks like its iconic luggage, is undergoing a year-long renovation project — and boasts its first U.S. café. Is.
But this is not a temporary stop. Across the street from the former Nicetown, the five-story Temp store at 6 East 57th Street has already wowed customers.
“This is phenomenal,” Michelle Carter, 59, told The Post as she walked out of the store carrying her new shoes in the iconic orange shopping bag.
She and her girlfriend were some of the first people into the shop when its doors opened on Friday morning. The group of women visiting the city already have plans to go shopping again over the weekend.
Michelle was at the flagship store before it closed to the public, but she said this temporary shop is “much more spacious.”
“There’s a lot of attention to detail. And it’s big,” she explained.
The size of the interim shop was duly noted by most of the stunned shoppers.
“I can’t believe how big it is,” Jordan Strong told The Post as he entered the store with his wife, Lisa, happily clutching their shopping bags.
He compared the store to a museum, explaining that the displays and layout of the place made it a “truly experiential” shopping trip.
The British tourist was almost convinced to buy a pair of bright yellow sneakers because they reminded him of a NY taxi cab. Instead, Lisa finally bought the bag she had her eye on.
“It’s my first one and I think it’s great that we bought it in New York,” he said.
But the store is far from a tourist trap.
Martin Yeo, a longtime loyal Louis Vuitton customer, deliberately walked into the store on Friday morning wearing the label from head to toe, ready to purchase some of the special offerings only available at the pop-up and check out the new location.
“I didn’t think it would be this spectacular,” the Manhattanite admitted, “but I’m pretty impressed.” this is much better.”
This temporary location has raised their expectations for the flagship location, which they have guaranteed will be “even more spectacular”.
“If it doesn’t happen, I’m going to complain,” the man in his 50s said.
Now that he has his special items, he’s ready to return in a few weeks for his reservation at America’s first LV-branded café, Le Café Louis Vuitton.
The library-themed restaurant, on the fourth floor of the shop above the women’s and men’s sections located behind the chocolate shop, is managed by Star Restaurants, headed by restaurateur Stephen Starr of Pastis fame.
While the store will not be operational on opening day, it will host its first guests to a packed house on November 16. Reservations can be made on Resy, but may be filled by December 12th – as far as the website will let you search.
“You have to bring your bone here,” Yeo insisted.
