The jewelry house’s New York flagship gets a makeover as part of its new strategy.
In 2019, Tiffany & Co. set about renovating its famous New York store—the flagship immortalized in pop culture by an elegant Audrey Hepburn in a Hubert Givenchy black dress, gazing into the shop window with a coffee and croissant in hand. On April 27th, 2023, the store is set to open under a new name, Landmark.
The name change differentiates the historic location from other flagships around the world. The renovation is the largest retail investment ever by LVMH for a single store, according to WWD sources. The luxury conglomerate acquired the jewelry brand in 2021 for $16 billion.
Architect Peter Marino undertook the re-design of the store’s interior spaces. Marino has worked at the intersection of fashion and architecture on many occasions before, having designed interiors for Louis Vuitton and Christian Dior and having worked with fashion legends like Karl Lagerfeld and Yves Saint Laurent. His firm’s first commission was reportedly from pop art icon Andy Warhol.
Curated by Marino, the new building houses nearly 40 artworks from renowned artists. These include Jean-Michel Basquiat (whose 1982 “Equals Pi” piece featured in Tiffany & Co.’s 2021 campaign with Beyoncé and Jay Z), Damien Hirst, and Richard Prince. Even the staircase at the store’s heart was inspired by model-turned-jewelry-designer Elsa Peretti. She was known for the organic forms in her jewelry. She began collaborating with Tiffany & Co. in the ’70s thanks to an introduction by her close friend and famed American designer, Halston. Some of these creations will be available to view in-store, as well as those by jewelry designers Paloma Picasso and Jean Schlumberger and watch manufacturer Patek Philippe, who have all collaborated with the house at one point.
Continuing the art exhibition feel, the building will also house the definitive collection of Tiffany High Jewellery and never-before-seen Tiffany & Co. creations designed exclusively for Landmark. One of the most famous Tiffany & Co. pieces, the 128.54-carat yellow Tiffany Diamond, will be featured with a new design. The piece has only been worn by four women: Lady Gaga, Beyoncé, Audrey Hepburn, and socialite Mary Whitehouse in 1957.
After its acquisition by LVMH, Tiffany & Co. has taken a different direction by trying to court a younger audience. One example was the Not Your Mother’s Tiffany campaign, which opted for a grungier aesthetic, with models sporting denim, tank tops, and effortless hair. There was also the aforementioned campaign with Beyoncé and Jay Z and a recent sneaker collaboration with Nike.
As well as trying to appeal to a younger audience, the brand was already working to shed the less-than-stellar reputation surrounding diamond excavation. This is why it tries to go beyond industry standards in providing transparency about the origins of its primary raw materials. Since 2019, it has provided provenance information regarding the regions of origin for every newly sourced diamond they set, as long as it is individually registered and of .18 carats or larger. In 2020, it expanded this to include information about where its stones are cut, polished, graded, and set. By owning and operating its facilities, Tiffany & Co. directly oversees its manufacturing and pays employees a living wage.
Images courtesy of Tiffany.
