A sonorous crossroads of Korean tradition and modernity, the blossoming capital city of Seoul deeply inspires with a conglomeration of street markets, Buddhist temples, fantastical skyscrapers, and K-pop activations. The glittering metropolis is enveloped by five UNESCO World Heritage Sites, reflecting the nourishing elements of Mother Earth onto contemporary landmarks including the neofuturistic Dongdaemun Design Plaza, N Seoul Tower, Lotte World Adventure, and International Finance Center Seoul.
Designated the World Design Capital in 2010, the South Korean cultural hub continues to uplift human connection through innovative and breathtaking artistry. Home to extraordinary flagship boutiques of the world’s elite and historic fashion houses, Seoul beckons international visitors for a cross-cultural shopping odyssey. Here, we shine a light on the splendid architectural and design details of Louis Vuitton, Dior, Chanel, Hermès, and Gentle Monster.
Louis Vuitton
Maison Louis Vuitton Seoul, photo by © Yong Joon Choi, © Gehry Partners, LLP and Frank O. Gehry, courtesy of Louis Vuitton.
In 2019, a revitalized Louis Vuitton Maison Seoul was unveiled at the pinnacle of Gangnam District’s elegant Cheongdam-dong. In a spirited partnership between esteemed architects Frank Gehry and Peter Marino, the illustrious site of the brand’s longstanding boutique provided fertile ground for a lyrical new structure, which invokes both the enchantment of Korean tradition and the sweeping forms of the Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris.
Marking Gehry’s inaugural work within South Korea, the white stone building hypnotizes with the visionary’s signature curvaceous glass designs and terraces winding to and fro across the facade. Drawing energy from the graceful gestures and snow white costumes of the Dongnae Hakchum (Crane Dance), as well as the stately 18th-century Hwaseong Fortress, the boutique appears as if on a constant voyage into heavenly clouds. Passersby bask in the cheerfulness of Gehry’s kaleidoscopic paper trees, which make way for the shop’s wondrous interior; five floors feature Marino’s rigorously collaged spaces enhanced by a “floating” staircase, fifty-five Objets Nomades interior design elements, the Espace art exhibition concept, and Louis Vuitton’s archival treasures.
What we love: The parade of artworks by visionaries such as Anselm Reyle, Mark Hagan, Luigi Mainolfi, Bernard Aubertin, Harmony Hammonds, and more, curated by Marino, which ebb and flow throughout the flagship.
454 Apgujeong-ro, Gangnam District, Seoul, South Korea
Dior
© Kyungsub Shin, courtesy of Dior.
Dior’s creative director, Maria Grazia Chiuri, debuted the maison’s first runway presentation in Seoul with the opulent Fall 2022 collection, leading to a ravishing Seongsu-dong concept boutique. Within the enlivened district, a shining, metallic mesh facade—reminiscent of the artistry found throughout Dior’s couture ateliers—welcomes visitors into the historic brand’s bespoke paradise. Sans roof, the edifice’s interior boasts a fragrant garden recalling Mother Nature’s gems spread throughout Korea, in addition to Monsieur Dior’s adoration of the natural world.
A glistening glass showcase offers narratives of the brand in fairytale-like assemblage—including a sculptural wooden capsule conjuring the dynamism of a skateboard ramp. The preeminent Korean designers Jeonghwa Seo and Kwangho Lee have filled the regal space with contemporary furniture fused with organic materials, while Dior’s alluring toile de Jouy print appears on hanji paper as an ode to time-honored Korean craftsmanship. For full immersion in the brand’s storied universe, the Korean digital design firm d’strict reveals an otherworldly journey into the founder’s childhood home—a re-creation of the legendary Granville villa, overflowing with vivacious roses, is visible from the Cafe Dior in pure cinematic style.
What we love: Discovering striking furniture by Lee in polystyrene foam, as well as the intermingling of metal and natural materials like straw and wood by the skillful Seo.
464 Apgujeong-ro, Gangnam District, Seoul, South Korea
Chanel
Photo by Tim Franco, courtesy of Chanel.
Chanel celebrated the evolving vibrancy of Seoul with the city’s debut flagship boutique opening in 2019, joining the nine boutiques spread across South Korea. In distinguished Cheongdam-dong, the world-renowned architect Peter Marino conceived the chic and minimalist sanctuary of onyx glass and lava stone, toasting both the historic city and brand’s pioneering, stylish innovations. Once inside the decadent locale, sleek gray stone flooring leads a path to seven floors of diverse collections and creations within a graphic ivory, black, and white interior.
In the spirit of Gabrielle Chanel’s dreamlike Parisian abode, 31 masterpieces of contemporary art fill the walls with memory and meaning. The Korean luminaries lk-Joong Kang, Lee Bul, and Lee Ufan lend their singular artistry, placed in compelling dialogue with the site-specific Sound Barrier—as well as a commissioned portrait of the brand’s enigmatic founder—by the German visionary Gregor Hildebrandt. Custom-made sofas and antique furnishings are intermeshed with a glowing Anis Light by Christophe Côme and glazed stoneware by Andrée et Michel Hirlet, culminating in a luminous Chanel Seoul encounter.
What we love: Ethereal dressing rooms fit with inspiring lithographs by Canadian abstract artist Agnès Martin, as well as black-and-white abstract works of ink on canson paper by the masterful Rémy Markowitsch.
431, Apgujeong-ro, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea
Hermès
Courtesy of Hermès.
In December 2023, Hermès welcomed local and international visitors alike to its freshly remodeled boutique by the Parisian firm RDAI, inside the Shilla Hotel. Unfolding on two resplendent floors, the distinct homage to the hanok, an ancestral Korean house, uplifts thriving elements of the Dansaekhwa artistic movement in an idyllic, pastoral location. Cemented in 1997, the brand’s first Korean site blooms with contemporary savoir faire, beginning with a polished storefront of blue-gray enamel ceramics, glass windows, and a patinated bronze awning.
Ethereal Grecques lighting beckons guests within the rust-hued interior, where a utopia of tones, textures, and treasures awaits. Silk, wood, and Havana stucco design moments intermingle with trademark touches by the Korean textile expert Hyunjee Jung. A blush-colored staircase echoes the terra-cotta wall of myungjoo silk, while woven leather walls guide the eyes to an open-air garden from the brilliant mind of the landscape architect Jeong Wook-ju.
What we love: Embarking on the engravings and drawings of the Émile Hermès collection, which uplift the house’s iconic equestrian theme, as well as encountering photographic masterpieces by Pentti Sammallahti, Nicolas Silberfaden, and more.
1F-B1F, The Shilla Seoul Hotel, 249 Dongho-ro, Jung-gu, 04605 Seoul, South Korea
Gentle Monster
Courtesy of Gentle Monster.
Gentle Monster’s unprecedented Haus Dosan space appears as a powerful, brutalist vessel of creative connection within Seoul. Branded as “HAUS 0 10 10 10 1” in respect to the forward momentum of quantum mechanics, the flagship concept store introduces visitors to the enlightened house alongside the Korean beauty brand Tamburins and sweet delicacies from Nudake. When visitors enter the first-floor lounge, the overarching theme of “Unopened:Future” becomes visible with soulful and riveting activations.
The second floor is a supernatural fantasia where the brand’s coveted optical eyewear is displayed within electrifying media installations by the London and Berlin-based artist Jonas Lindstroem. Born from Gentle Monster’s robot lab, the six-legged Probe on the third floor receives guests exploring the latest sunglasses with audacious hospitality. The cultivated fourth floor Tamburins flagship space embraces the organic world in black-and-white, with artworks by Casper Kang, Chulan Kwak, and Mercedes Vicente. Across B1F, Nudake’s “Taste of Meditation” offers an avant-garde dessert table beside a philosophical media installation by the Italian visual artist Andrea Artemisio.
What we love: Exploring the forward-thinking brand’s latest optical eyewear and sunglass collections, a sleek and contemporary marriage of clarity and luxury.
50, Apgujeong-ro 46-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea
