Balmain opens a 3,200-square-foot Milan flagship at 23 Via della Spiga

Balmain has opened a Milan flagship at 23 Via della Spiga, the first store to carry a new architectural concept. The 3,200-square-foot boutique replaces the Balmain shop on Via Montenapoleone, which went dark over the summer, and is spread across two levels.

The opening is part of the house's new chapter under creative director Antonin Tron. The decor is low-key and tinged with Art Deco, and the Paris-based house describes the result as a gallery-like space rather than a conventional shop.

Balmain keeps some of the existing architecture, which is by Vincenzo De Cotiis. The interiors were curated by architect Andrea Faraguna under Tron's creative direction. The ground floor is for womenswear and accessories, while menswear and accessories are on the lower level.

What the interiors are made of

Balmain says the interiors balance architectural rigor with sensorial warmth. It lists onyx, Venetian plaster, mirrored surfaces, fiberglass, metal and glass among the materials used throughout the two floors of the boutique.

The furniture was realised with curly shearing and Japanese eggshell craftsmanship. Together with the mirrored surfaces and onyx, these give the boutique the restrained, gallery-like feel the house was after.

The design draws on the founder. According to the house, Tron shares Pierre Balmain's belief that architecture is an integral part of fashion's expression. It must be designed, the house says, with the same precision, emotion and attention to detail as the products it shows.

Balmain was founded in Paris in 1945 by the designer Pierre Balmain. It is known for opulent designs and tailored silhouettes, and sells high-end apparel, accessories and fragrances. Its Milan address now moves from Via Montenapoleone to Via della Spiga.

Why the chief executive says doors are not the goal

Chief executive Matteo Sgarbossa said the flagship signals a different approach to how the house meets its clients. "The client has changed, and luxury retail has to change with them," he said, adding that people discover brands differently and move between physical and digital worlds.

Balmain currently operates 34 full-price stores worldwide, alongside 13 outlets. Sgarbossa said the priority is not network expansion for its own sake, but the quality of the relationship with the client. The company wants to be selective about where its stores go.

"The measure of success is not how many doors we have," Sgarbossa said, "but whether those doors create a stronger connection between Balmain and the people we want to welcome into the house." He did not give any target for new openings.

The house also runs a private salon concept, in Los Angeles and East Hampton. Sgarbossa described it as the intimacy and personalised service of a private boutique, a move from a traditional store experience toward something more relationship-driven.

Milan was chosen to unveil the new decor because it is a design capital as well as a fashion one. Sgarbossa said the city brings fashion, architecture and craftsmanship together, and that such spaces let the house become part of the life of a place.

He rejected a single formula. "I don't believe in taking one retail formula and putting it everywhere," he said, adding that luxury retail cannot be one-size-fits-all. Balmain, he said, is making the idea of a Balmain environment meaningful to each market.

Sgarbossa also said the company is becoming more agile as an organisation, and that the store, the product, the image and the client experience have to work together. The aim, he said, is fewer barriers between the client and the house.

Next for Tron is his second runway show for the house, scheduled for Wednesday during Paris Fashion Week. It follows the Milan opening within days and is the next public test of the direction he is setting for Balmain.

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Images: Courtesy of Balmain