Western Australia has emerged from the pandemic with an economy so strong that the world’s most luxurious brands have put their trust in our retail market with multimillion-dollar investments.
Luxury fashion house Chanel today opened the doors of its highly anticipated new store in the heart of our CBD.
The 700 sq. ft. store, designed by Peter Marino, is located in Grade II listed Wentworth Building in Raine Square, nearly three times the size of their previous King Street location, which closed last week.
An Australian first, the store will become a combined fashion and beauty boutique offering ready-to-wear, accessories, perfume, and cosmetics.
Camera IconChanel Spring Summer 2022 Collection Credit: MARIE ROUGE
The boutique is the only location in Australia with changing rooms that customers can personalize via a mobile device to customize the airflow, music, and lighting.
The interior pays tribute to the brand’s founder, Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel. It reflects her legendary apartment with symbols inspired by the couturier, including the black, white, and beige color palette and the graphic language synonymous with her eternally modern allure.
The ground floor is dedicated to bags, shoes, small leather goods, and jewelry. The first floor features designs from Virginie Viard’s Summer 2022 collection next to the runway, displayed in large bay windows overlooking the bustling central business district.
The fashion giant follows a string of high-end exclusive brands moving to Raine Square from King Street, including Kailis Jewellery, Louis Vuitton, Tiffany and Co., and Watches of Switzerland.
Camera IconThe new Chanel store in the heart of Perth’s CBD. Credit: Chanel
The addition of the newest luxury tenant, marking the completion of the $60 million redevelopment of Charter Hall, has cemented the retail destination as the city’s latest luxury hub, taking the crown from King Street’s hands.
“The grand opening of Chanel marks another important milestone for Raine Square, completing our luxury retail offering and solidifying our position as the home of premium local and international brands in Perth’s CBD,” Miriam Patterson, Head of Office Partnerships and Raine Square Fund Manager, told The West Australian.
“When Charter Hall bought Raine Square in 2013, it was on the understanding that the redevelopment needed to be agile and meet the community’s needs.
“Providing a diverse and unique mix of tenants and placemaking, Raine Square provides convenience, ambition, and entertainment for visitors that inspire the community to engage with the district.”
Camera icon First looks at the new Chanel store in the heart of Perth’s CBD. Credit: Chanel
Edward Maradona, director of the famed streetwear store Cabinet Noir in Raine Square, echoed Patterson’s sentiment.
“For many years, King Street has been known as the premier destination for luxury shopping. This has changed with Raine Square’s proactive move to have Louis Vuitton move into the property. LV’s move has meant that all of King Street’s luxury brands have also switched. Tiffany & Co has recently withdrawn. And now that Chanel takes the corner of William and Murray Street, it is the most visible luxury designer store in Perth CBD,” Maradona told The West Australian.
“We (Cabinet Noir) took the step knowing this would happen shortly and committed ourselves to the move because they offered us the space directly behind Louis Vuitton.
“Being in the same neighborhood with LV, Tiffany, and Chanel will create a stronger synergy. Being in the new “Luxury Space” will also allow us to show our customers our range of luxury designer brands.
“Since the move, we have seen our business grow, and our reach to new customers has expanded. Because we are so close to LV, we found that we share similar demographics and that our two stores complement each other. With the addition of Chanel, we are confident it will only attract more people with a similar audience,” he explains.
“Having multiple designer stores in Raine Square will also help the city to invite tourists again (as borders reopen). I am convinced that Raine Square will become one of the tourist destinations. With the right marketing strategies from Raine Square and the City of Perth, I believe we can breathe new life into urban shopping.
Iconic Western Australian jewelry brand Kailis Jewelry expressed excitement by being part of Perth’s most prestigious shopping destination.
“We are so proud to be one of the exclusive retailers hand-selected to perfectly round out Raine Square’s luxury offering and provide city visitors with a world-class premium shopping experience,” said Tanya Tindall, General Manager, Kailis Jewelry.
