Saks Fifth Avenue has relocated its store in Houston’s The Galleria, opening a larger space that offers the ultimate luxury department store experience.
Designed in partnership with CBX, the new Saks occupies approximately 200,000 sq. ft. on two shopping levels. In addition to an expanded merchandise selection, it houses the second largest beauty and fragrance department in the Saks portfolio, an enhanced Fifth Avenue Club with eight private shopping suites, and an outpost of a favorite local cocktail bar and restaurant. It also offers the company’s Saks at Your Service home-based personal shopping, styling and tailoring services.

The design inspiration is derived from mid-century, modern architectural principles, and features unexpected pops of colors and materials. Due to its massive size (more than twice the size of the average Saks), the store embodies unique architectural details and elements of surprise, including a dynamic sculptural staircase that appears as a ribbon dancing its way down from the second floor. An eclectic mix of found and custom furniture, fixtures, decorative lighting and accessories are found throughout the space, along with innovative, and sometimes non-conventional, hand-crafted and hand-applied materials and finishes.

Store highlights include the lingerie department, which a new design concept that includes hand-folded and painted wall covering as well as a curved glass wall functioning as the mannequin display. The beauty and fragrance department has nine beauty shops and five fragrance shops, roofed with Pascale Girardin hanging porcelain sculptures, and covered with custom mosaic flooring from Sicis and Cesarstone countertops.

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Originally published by <a title="Chain Store Age" href="http://www.chainstoreage.com/article/saks-fifth-avenue-galleria-houston" target="_blank">Chain Store Age</a>
Photos courtesy of Max Bolzonella