LONDON — Shopping at Alaïa has just become more intellectual with a side of books and cake.
The Paris-based house has opened a bookstore and café on the second floor of its store on London’s New Bond Street in collaboration with Claire de Rouen and Violet Cakes.
“This bookstore stands as a testament to Alaïa’s deep appreciation for the arts, showcasing a selection that reflects the current interplay between art, fashion, and photography,” said the brand in a statement.
The selection stretches from signed and rare photography, fashion and art books to tomes about Louise Bourgeois and ones by Annie Ernaux, recipient of the 2022 Nobel Prize in Literature.
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The Alaïa café has been put together by Violet Cakes owner and chef Claire Ptak with treats to have at the store or take away.
The steel interiors of the café are a nod to the brand’s founder, Azzedine Alaïa, who passed away in 2017, while the bookstore mimics a home library with its dark carpeting and matching sofas.
The Alaïa store opened in 2018 and is the first flagship outside the French capital, where it currently operates two stores and sells at shops including Galeries Lafayette, 10 Corso Como and Harrods.
Located at 139 New Bond Street — near to IWC and Fendi — the 6,000-square-foot London flagship spans three floors. The space was the former home of the vintage jeweler S.J. Phillips.
The store carries Alaïa’s full range, including ready-to-wear, shoes, bags and accessories as well as limited-edition pieces and couture by appointment.
