Shopping for luxury goods has become seamlessly easy in the modern digital age. With a few clicks of your fingers, you can purchase a new Valentino Garavani handbag and that pair of shoes haunting you while waiting for the subway.
While there’s something to be said about the convenience of it all, nothing beats the full-service experience of shopping in a luxury boutique and seeing products in real life, all while sipping on champagne. Not to mention the unmistakable rush of walking out with something new in hand.
Last month, Valentino’s brand-new flagship store on Madison Avenue in NYC opened its doors, and I stopped by to check it all out.
New On Madison
The new location is home to three floors, each dedicated to displaying various collections from the Maison. Of course, I was immediately drawn to the handbags, and behind the ornate double doors, finished with stunning sculptural marble handles, I was met with a wide array of bags.
The store itself is beautiful; there’s simply no other way of putting it, and the higher floors, which showcase Women’s Ready-To-Wear, offer an intimate, inviting feel. It’s that area where clients can book one of the store’s private rooms for a one-of-a-kind VIP shopping experience.
Perfectly curated to feel like a sitting room, the private shopping rooms feature nods to the Maison’s ateliers. Warm and welcoming with a quintessential European vibe, you feel transported to Italy for a moment. Red details are featured throughout and within other store areas, paying homage to Valentino’s storied DNA.
Back to the Bags
The offerings are vast, and the best thing about shopping in-store is being able to compare and contrast, not to mention discover something you may not have been initially drawn to.
I have always been a Rockstud girl. It’s a bag I kept coming back to but never actually committed to, and I specifically went to the store with a Valentino Garavani Rockstud bag in mind. While I thought I would head straight for the brand’s bold studs, other shapes caught my eye.
Valentino Garavani’s Got a Brand New Bag
First seen on the runway during the Maison’s L’École Spring/Summer 2024 presentation, the new Valentino Garavani VLogo Moon bag caught my eye. An entire display is dedicated to the new shape, which takes inspiration from the form of a crescent moon and is designed to take you from day to night.
I tried it on in a few colors before realizing I favored the white hue, which felt seasonless and effortlessly chic. Its soft leather and bold details were the deciding factors for me. I was delighted that it feels suitable for daily, dressed-down wear and nights out alike.
Two sizes are currently available in-store, and the small was just the right size for me. I absolutely adore how it looks clutched by the hardware, which is one of the ways of wearing it. The VLogo acts like a bracelet, and carrying the bag this way is definitely statement-making. There’s a leather shoulder strap for daytime wear, which can’t be adjusted but can be removed.
Visiting the newly-designed store was a great reminder of what an experience buying in-store can be. Plus, at a time when we’re all moving so fast, it was a great reminder to slow down, dive into the magical world of Valentino, and simply enjoy the entire process of picking up something new.
Visit the new Valentino flagship store at 654 Madison Avenue, New York, New York 10065, to discover the new Valentino Garavani VLogo Moon bag and much more.
