The first building I ever walked into on my first visit to Paris was Galeriers Lafayette Haussmann. That was almost seven years ago now; I still remember that they didn’t allow any photographs of the world-famous stained glass atrium (although I think this rule has changed since then). For me, those first steps and that no-photo rule instantly embodied Paris – glamour, exclusivity and fashion. Of course, I still managed to sneak one quick, perfect shot of that atrium, and it has since been printed and framed in our living room. Its the only printed and framed piece of travel photography in our living room, because that moment in Paris so many years ago still embodies the allure and pleasure of the City of Lights.
Naturally, then, you can imagine both my surprise and slight embarrassment to discover that Galeries Lafayette – the boisterously French brand that is referenced in TV shows like Mr. Selfridges for forging the path for luxury department stores – is in fact not only in Paris. There are boutiques all over France, and also five international branches of Galeries Lafayette the world over; in Dubai, Casablance, Beijing and Jakarta. As we planned our excursion into the Old West of Berlin, I was excited when we found Galeries Lafayette Berlin on the map. Walking through the doors of the large building, I had that same feeling of familiarity – of being home, of belonging. The shop here in Berlin has a unique feeling of both the French suaveness with touches of German modernity. And better yet, upon arriving, we discovered that this particular store was celebrating it’s 20th birthday! For twenty years, the French lifestyle megastore has been in Germany’s capital.
To celebrate, there was a public exhibition set up plus an exclusive shopping night. More wide sweeping celebrations continue into the whole year, including a ton of exclusive designer collaborations: a ’20 Years Champagne’ by Gratiot Gerard, specially designed Polo Ralph Lauren shirts, a ‘Black Label’ line of Canada Goose coats, a special YSL Rouge Couture Matte Lipstick and an exclusive ‘Leo Look’ of the Christian Dior So Real shades. As Germany’s only Galeries Lafayette, this store also features exclusively selected Berlin designers along with its impressive roster of leading international fashion houses. Its five floors and 10,000 square meters of retail glory featuring everything we love about life: fashion, accessories, shoes, high-quality beauty products and delicatessen.
As I mentioned, I have never felt more “at home”, amidst my Creed perfumes, Valentino sneakers, McQ sportswear, Gucci wallets, and Vilebrequin swim trunks. Monika also had a ton of fun browsing her many, many future purchases, plus we were able to sign up for their membership program (only open to German citizens!) and we can’t wait to discover the full benefits of being a part of this luxury French store.
