After a two-year wait, luxury retailer Louis Vuitton has debuted its new two-story boutique on Worth Avenue in Palm Beach.
The store, at 222 Worth Ave., is just a short walk from The Esplanade, where the brand was based for more than two decades. That location closed in May 2023, leaving Louis Vuitton without a standalone location on the island. The new location opened on Halloween.
Louis Vuitton welcomed shoppers to its first Palm Beach store more than 40 years ago at 251 Worth Ave.
“We’re excited to see Louis Vuitton re-open on Worth Avenue, reaffirming the street’s place among the world’s premier luxury destinations,” Michael Maus, Worth Avenue Association executive board treasurer, told the Palm Beach Daily News. “This investment signals strong confidence in Worth Avenue and will draw even more discerning visitors to our local retailers. The new flagship raises the bar for service and experience, creating a halo that benefits the entire Avenue.”
Louis Vuitton’s new location originally was a one-story structure designed by architect Raymond Plockelman and built in 1945. A second-floor residence was added in 1952, and the property underwent several renovations over the years. The most recent tenant was Escada.
The store transformed the space by blending its signature design elements with influences inspired by Palm Beach.
Its exterior features white stucco and metal-trimmed glass openings that were drawn from the area’s Mediterranean Revival style.
The ground floor features European oak floors, wooden doorways, and rooms with ceilings that vary in height and style. A sculptural wood staircase curves up to the second level, where custom gradient wallpaper wraps around the stairwell.
The second floor showcases the Louis Vuitton Home Collection, which features furniture, lighting, textiles, tableware, and decorative art in collaboration with global designers that include Patricia Urquiola, Tokujin Yoshioka, Patrick Jouin, Cristián Mohaded and Estúdio Campana. The area also displays an exclusive, custom hand-painted stack of luggage by a Louis Vuitton artisan.
The Palm Beach store is one of only two U.S. locations to feature the Louis Vuitton Home Collection, alongside the brand’s East 57th Street boutique in New York City.
The Worth Avenue store also features curated artwork, with original pieces commissioned for Palm Beach by artists such as Remy Benito, Trudy Benson, Isadora Caparo, Lautaro Cuttica and John Vitale.
In addition to its home décor offerings, the boutique showcases Louis Vuitton’s women’s and men’s collections by Nicolas Ghesquière and Pharrell Williams, along with leather goods, accessories, shoes, watches, jewelry and fragrances.
The Palm Beach store is the brand’s 14th in Florida and third in Palm Beach County. Louis Vuitton also operates locations at The Gardens Mall in Palm Beach Gardens and at Town Center at Boca Raton.
Ahead of its completion, brand representatives appeared before the Town Council Oct. 15 to request a two-week extension to finalize construction within the town’s permitted building period on Worth Avenue.
Council members voted unanimously to grant a waiver extending the allowance, letting work continue from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday, from Nov. 1–14. Construction normally is limited to 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., Monday through Saturday, between May 1 and Oct. 31, with any exceptions requiring council approval.
Geoffrey Cauble, vice president of Dimension One, the contractor for Louis Vuitton, told council members the remaining construction will be quiet and confined to the store’s interior.
Palm Beach’s Architectural Commission approved the exterior design of the store in April 2024. That approval came months after the Town Council cleared Louis Vuitton to occupy over 4,000 square feet on Worth Avenue.
The council voted in September 2024 to deny Louis Vuitton’s request to continue work on the boutique during the season.
Jodie Wagner is a journalist at the Palm Beach Daily News, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach her at jwagner@pbdailynews.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Daily News: Louis Vuitton unveils new two-story boutique on Palm Beach’s iconic Worth Avenue
Reporting by Jodie Wagner, Palm Beach Daily News / Palm Beach Daily News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
