Versace starts the new year acquired by American luxury conglomerate Michael Kors holdings and opens their first Miami boutique in the famous Bal Harbour shopping district. For the new outpost Donatella Versace partnered with award winning architect Gwenael Nicolas’ and his design firm Curiosity (previous clients include Dolce & Gabbana, Moncler and Fendi) to develop her new store.

According to the famed architect the Versace company wished to rediscover their roots and present the iconic brand from a fresh perspective. This translated into a vibrant atelier designed with sustainability in mind.

“I love this new concept that embraces a sustainable future for the people and for the environment. I believe in constant evolution and I think this project perfectly embraces the heritage of the brand with innovative spatial design for Versace’s vision for the future.”

Gwenael Nicolas

From the sourcing of the materials to the climate control and energy efficiency of the boutique, every feature is optimized. The construction included recycled, recyclable, and responsible materials – such as recycled mosaic glass, FSC-certified wood and rescued marble for decorative elements which minimized extraction of raw materials from the earth. The store has been given a Gold level rating by LEED, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, which certifies buildings on their levels of sustainability.

The elegant entrance features a black and white granite stone with the name Versace embossed in jet black letters. The black and white pattern was selected as a way to capture the attention of the visitor from the outset and frame the dazzling interior. Upon entering the store a symbolic golden pillar welcomes visitors.

The ceiling has a delicate golden lattice trim running from the front to the rear of the space.

Gwenael Nicolas designed the store layout in a “lozenge shape” pattern to move customers fluently from one room to the next.

The interiors are primarily in soft shades of creamy white. While the floors and stuffed velvet chairs are in dreamy shades of calcite blue.

The golden elements feature strongly against the minimalist interiors. This was intentional to allow Versace’s hyper graphical items like T-shirts and scarves to stand out against the textured walls.

Deep inside the boutique a forest of wiry bronze strands lead visitors towards the shoe salon. The golden forest contrasts dramatically against the rest of the design interiors. The space looks like a jewelry box, the amazing colors in calcite blue complement the golden finish.

Take a tour of the new Versace boutique with architect Gwenael Nicolas:

Versace Bal Harbour
9700 Collins Ave
Miami Beach, FL
33154, USA