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Home is where the heart is, and though the Bologna-born brand La Perla has now found a new home on Old Bond Street in their fabulous new boutique, the Italianate embassy still has all the heart. Ever since La Perla became La Perla in 1954, the luxe lingerie brand have laced their output with opulent artisanal femininity and going by their newly revamped retail space, preened and perfected just in time for the release of their AW14 collection, nothing has changed. A compilation inspired by a case lined in red velvet in which their earliest hand-crafted creations where presented like fine jewels, the label’s name crests the entrance to the 3 storey 9 Old Bold Street flagship exquisitely, but all the good stuff that you won’t be able to resist remains inside.
The chic new interior concept conceived by famed Italian architect Roberto Baciocchi establishes a fanciful new elite atelier presence, drawing inspiration from both the grand architecture of his homeland and also the retail space’s home turf, so take our word for it, there’s almost nowhere more picturesque to patronize in London. To this end, there’s no skimping when it comes to the plush fittings and gilded displays veiled by lengths of tulle evoking the soft, thoughtful approach La Perla takes to design, with their newest collection taking pride of place in object d’art displays that make the intimate floor-plan all the more intriguing.
On ascending towards the heavens things only get more rosy when you arrive on the second floor, offering a made-to-measure service exclusive to the brand, allowing customers to personalise their chosen creations by having them hand crafted to measure and available only to order. Dedicated to VIP customers, the espace privé treatment will allow those entitled to get up close and personal with the charmingly bespoke AW14 collection and indulge in the luxurious one-of-a-kind gold thread and Swarovski crystal lingerie pieces.
A benchmark milestone in the global relaunch of a brand that’s know-how of the female form trumps all competitors, entrepreneur Silvio Scaglia considers the new boutique to be the “feather in La Perla’s cap”, and seemingly it doesn’t end there. In fact, the new concept is set to be rolled out to over 150 of their existing boutiques worldwide in key capitals such as Milan, New York, Paris and Hong Kong, and furthermore, come December the new London store will house the lifestyle brand’s new concept menswear line, recently unveiled at Pitti Uomo. I
If you really want to feel the essence of Italian sensuality you may just have to arrange a special shopping trip to get the best out of the 150m² Old Bond St set up. This may well be the one stop shop for luxury lingerie, but it’s not a drop in and dash kind of deal, instead, an entire afternoon is ideal. Looks like it’s time to make some space in our schedules.
by Liam Feltham
Images courtesy of La Perla