On Billionaires' Row, A Flourish of Louis Vuitton Furnishings
● The luxury brand's imaginative Objets Nomades furnishings get meticulously curated by interior designer Rita Chraibi.
It's the world of Louis Vuitton — showcased in a setting that feels like you're on top of the world.
The breadth of the Louis Vuitton collection, in particular the Objets Nomades furnishings, fill a 4,492-squarefoot condominium occupying the entire 42nd floor of 111 West 57th Street in Manhattan. That's the soaring, sylphlike residential tower boasting sweeping views of Central Park and upper Manhattan, and a preserved Steinway Hall, once the site of the Steinway piano store which years ago relocated to 43rd Street.
Meticulously complementing the furnishings are Louis Vuitton's exotic travel trunks and luggage and decorative items, placed alongside premium Hennessy Cognac and Moët & Chandon Imperial bottles and accessories, as well as the brand's ready-to-wear, shoes, jewelry, bags and accessories, all products from the LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton luxury conglomerate.
"This is the first time that the Louis Vuitton Objets Nomade collection is being exhibited in a real estate project," said interior designer Rita Chraibi. She's curated the condo, in collaboration with Louis Vuitton, and with a mission to bring greater awareness to the furnishings, and elevate them in a way that "extracts a project's natural potential... My goal was to show that these objects are not simply objects." Collectively, said the FrenchMoroccan designer, "they create a very harmonious and cozy ambiance" amid a grand residential space. "There's no other furniture from any other brand here."
For the residence, Chraibi veered away from the flashier side of the Vuitton color palate. "I wanted something light and softer — whites, beiges and caramels." Yet there are pops of color and elements of whimsy in several of the pieces, i.e. the lime — yellow swaying leather "cocoon" seat connected by rope to the ceiling, and the red spiral lamps.
Also displayed are Vuitton's undulating leather lounge chairs, a scallop-shaped, ivory-colored armchair, sheepback dining chairs, and the leather champagne and tea cases. Right off the elevator, you're confronted by a screen created in a matrix of Vuitton brown leather straps.
The Louis Vuitton collection incorporates the talents of several renowned names in design, among them India Mahdavi, Marcel Wanders Studio, Patricia Urquiola, Campana Brothers and Atelier Oï. It's part of the heritage of Louis Vuitton to open its doors to architects, artists and designers to evolve the various categories and products within the collection.
Officially speaking, Louis Vuitton considers the curation an exhibition, in view of its comprehensive nature. The exhibit also features artworks from Galleria Ca' d'Oro, including Lorenzo Perrone, Melissa Herrington, Giorgio Tentolini, Irene Mamyie, Michael Haggiag, and Ewa Bathelier, and works from artists Jorge Wellesley and multidisciplinary artist
Rachel T. Hicks. All the design pieces, furniture and artwork are available for purchase.
Touring the condo evokes a sense of luxury layered on luxury. It's a celebration of Louis Vuitton, that supports the marketing of the condo. According to one sales rep, a sale of the condo could be imminent. The condo has three bedrooms; three baths; two dressing rooms; 14-foot, floor-to-ceiling windows; custom smokegray solid oak floors, and a Gaggenau-outfitted kitchen. It's priced at $28.5 million, unfurnished. There are other two-to-four bedroom condos for sale in the tower, starting at $7.75 million, which began marketing the apartments about four years ago.
The exhibit is also an exclusive opportunity for Louis Vuitton clients to discover the scope of the brand.
The exhibition will be up through July 4, and during the days and weeks till then, invitation-only events and private appointments are on the agenda.
"We are thrilled to host the “mise en scene” of Louis Vuitton's Objets Nomades collection. The exceptional exhibit juxtaposes striking and thoughtprovoking design pieces with our gracious residences and breathtaking panoramic views of Central Park,” said Michael Stern, founder and chief executive officer of JDS Development Group, which developed 111 West 57th Street along with the Property Markets Group and Spruce Capital Partners.
The tower, designed by SHoP Architects with a terracotta, bronze and glass exterior, is 1,428 feet high, and considered the second tallest residential building in the Western Hemisphere. It's along the stretch of 57th Street known as "Billionaires' Row" because of the super tall, luxury residential towers lining the wide thoroughfare, including 432 Park Avenue, considered the tallest residential building in the Western Hemisphere, as well as One57, and 225 West 57th Street which houses the Nordstrom women's flagship.
A block and a half east of 111 West 57th Street, there's the Louis Vuitton flagship, situated on the northeast corner of 57th Street and Fifth Avenue.