In a big boost for the luxury market in India, Galeries Lafayette has joined with the Aditya Birla Group to open its first flagship store in the country, a 90,000-square-foot unit that is seen as a turning point in Indian retail.
“We are very excited,” Nicolas Houzé, executive chairman of Galeries Lafayette, told WWD. “It is not just a new location opening — this is very much a unique event and a feeling; it is a defining moment.”
The 130-year-old retailer’s signature luxury department store experience being brought to India by an Indian conglomerate with a deep understanding of the market also should help set the stage for success.
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Benoit Laumaille, creative director of Galeries Lafayette, told WWD about the experience of creating the new space, bringing two legacies together. “At times it was so emotional, it brought tears to my eyes,” he said.
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Choosing the 250 brands carried at the store was a journey in itself, bringing in Indian brands as well as French ones — more than 70 percent of which are entering India for the first time.
The $67 billion Aditya Birla group has been playing a major role in helping to redefine fashion retail in India with collaborations, acquisitions and private labels, as well as investments in some of the country’s top designer labels, including Sabyasachi and Tarun Tahiliani.
Speaking at the opening of the store on Wednesday, Kumar Mangalam Birla, chairman of the Aditya Birla Group, said. “The Indian luxury market is at the threshold of transformation and is likely to grow four-fold to $90 billion by 2030.”
He pointed out that the group was in the next phase of strategic acceleration. “As the economy matures and its cultural confidence deepens, the moment is right to redefine luxury retail. At the Aditya Birla Group, we see this as an opportunity to unlock a new wave of growth,” he said.
“Our partnership with Galeries Lafayette marks a coming-of-age moment for Indian luxury retail. Together, we are creating an iconic destination in the heart of Mumbai — a world-class showcase where the best of global luxury engages with the rising confidence of the Indian consumer. For the first time, India will welcome a luxury department store, housed in landmark real estate, executed with precision and infused with the elegance of Indian sensibilities,” he said.
It was a point emphasized by Houzé.
“Partnering with the Aditya Birla Group, a renowned family-owned conglomerate whose values resonate with ours, gives this project a particularly strong foundation,” he said. “With Mumbai as our anchor point, we are proud to introduce an experience that brings together French heritage, creativity and innovation, while embracing the energy and cultural richness of India. This flagship will stand as a symbol of our ambition to make the French Art of Living shine on the global stage.”
Creating the space was no small job, given the heritage structures and the focus on modernity inside.
As Ewald Damen, creative director and managing partner of Virgile + Partners, which designed the space, explained, the two buildings that form the space — Voltas House and Turner Morrison — come together in unique ways, keeping in mind the traditions and style of Galeries Lafayette, as well as the Indian sensibility. There is a huge cupola above soon after shoppers enter while the building also highlights the lotus flower, which has always had special significance in India.
“This takes inspiration from the inlay work at the Taj Mahal in Agra,” he said.
A lotus theme on the ceiling at the far end as well makes it more special.
Meanwhile, a French observation balloon suspended from the ceiling makes a dramatic statement about Galeries Lafayette’s style itself, as do the special Art Nouveau style spaces. “Luxury must have space to feel and breathe,” Damen observed.
The beauty floor, where the lotus lies, one floor below, does just that, leaving plenty of space for the brands to breathe, with newly relaunched in India brands La Prairie and Loewe, Creed and Amouage. Others, like Diptyque and Charles de Marly, have only one other stand-alone space in the country so far. It also brings in for the first time the niche fragrances of Guerlain and Givenchy. Other beauty brands include Acqua di Parma, Bulgari, Chloe, Parfums de Marly, Maison Francis Kurkdjian, Caudalie, Prada, Hermès, Lancôme, Edit, Gucci and Dolce & Gabbana, among others, One section showcases K-beauty and hair care.
The ground floor, La Coupole, is dedicated to handbags and leather goods, sunglasses and accessories. The first floor, L’Atelier, carries women’s luxury collections and eveningwear, the second: L’Edition Femme, for women’s designer and contemporary collections; the third, L’Edition Homme, for men’s luxury and designer collections, and the more youthful fourth floor, Flipside, for concept streetwear, and sneakers. The second and third floors offer both brand boutiques and multibrand “edit” spaces.
The list of brands is long, from Balmain to Fear of God, Maison Margiela to Stone Island, 100 Hands to Acne Studios. Indian brands include Bodice and Hemant & Nandita.
The store opening also makes this historic area of Mumbai further along the path to becoming a premium luxury avenue — Hermès has a flagship in a heritage building nearby, as do Louis Vuitton, Christian Louboutin and Indian designer Sabyasachi.
The event was commemorated in style, with a flotilla of yachts in the Arabian Sea, starting out from the historic monument, the Gateway of India. Balloons in red and white dotted the sky, as the yachts with flags in the same colors sailed by. It was followed by a celebration on the terrace of Galeries Lafayette, Mumbai — interrupted briefly by a rain shower — which many from the team hailed as an omen of good luck.
The relationship between the two giants is also expected to help Indian retail along, according to analysts, bringing in more interest from global brands, as well as new ways of working and training by example.
The agreement with the French retailer has been made by Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Ltd., or ABFRL, which operated more than 7.1 million square feet over 1,168 stores as of March 31.
While the Mumbai store won’t officially open until November, the aim already is to open the next store in New Delhi in the next 24 to 36 months. New Delhi shoppers are generally considered more extravagant and quick to be influenced by luxury brands, but the power of Mumbai with its large and influential Bollywood celebrity clientele and strong financial muscle is hard to ignore.
More relaxed, as the celebration wound down, Sathyajit R, chief executive officer of international business at Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Ltd told WWD with a smile, “It may take time for luxury customers to evolve, but we have patience. We are ready to reach the consumers in Mumbai.”