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The Red Room at Printemps New York
Words by: ICFF June 18, 2025

In late March, luxury retail platform Printemps made its long-anticipated New York debut. Located in the already ornate, Art Deco-style One Wall Street tower, the new venue unfolds as a celebration of artisanal prowess: layered motifs, intricate patterns, and expertly transformed noble materials that are as much a contemporary interpretation of age-old French craft traditions as they are a response to immediate history and place.

Established in Paris 160 years ago, the “destination” was an early adopter of the “all under one-roof” approach: cohering sales vignettes, food concessions, cultural activation, and other hospitality aspects. Just as le nouvel Opéra de Paris (later known as Palais Garnier) was under construction and set to become the ultimate venue for total-work-of-art stagings—the melding of all art forms—the self-proclaimed “non-department store” emerged as a bastion of immersive experiences.

(Image Above: Red Room at Printemps New York, photo credit: Gieves Anderson for Printemps New York)

Salon Vert at Printemps New York

Salon Vert at Printemps New York, photo credit: Gieves Anderson for Printemps New York

Printemps New York is no different. The 55-thousand square-foot flagship makes the most of soaring ceilings and grand original architectural features. Ten distinctly outfitted vignettes—expertly designed by architect Laura Gonzalez—include everything from old-world eateries to treatment rooms and clothing repair counters. Though comprehensively staged with bold artworks and decorative flourishes (numerous high-profile artists and makers contributed custom pieces), much of the two-floor venue remains flexible; able to accommodate different types of events.

“Building on our Parisian roots and DNA of innovation, we wanted to create a new concept in New York,” said Jean-Marc Bellaiche, CEO of Printemps Group. “Printemps New York is being innovatively programmed with a curated approach to fashion and lifestyle, allowing us to continually adapt and evolve to meet the needs of today’s discerning consumers.”

The Playroom at Printemps New York

The Playroom at Printemps New York, photo credit: Gieves Anderson for Printemps New York

Printemps New York begins with an undulating glass entrance before leading into the multi-coloured marble Playroom. This space incorporates displays of casual wear and gifts as well as an all-day café. Women’s ready-to-wear and accessories are presented within the wood-floor-laden Salon on the second floor. Floral carpets soften and scale down the monumental environment. Clad in hand-painted tile and overlooking Broadway below, the adjacent Salon Vert serves up raw-bar staples.

La Garçonnière—the men’s apparel section—is defined by monochromatic hues of pink. Turning conventions on their head, decidedly futuristic concrete is tempered by sheer curtains, moiré-effect wallpaper, and pastel frescoes.

  • Salon (Garçonnière) at Printemps New York

    Salon (Garçonnière) at Printemps New York, photo credit: Gieves Anderson for Printemps New York

  • A close look at the details in the Red Room at Printemps New York, photo credit: Gieves Anderson for Printemps New York

“Constraints bring creativity,” said Gonzalez. “In the ground-level Red Room Bar, for example, we could not attach anything to the walls. They had to be completely protected, so we decided to make an entirely freestanding forest of flowers, made from ecological resin, which was developed especially for this project.” These sure-to-become iconic components form a canopy, enclosing the haunt within the vaulted space.

Attention to sustainability cropped up in the use of upcycled materials—harnessed through long-established techniques—and the deft, almost seamless, implementation of items sourced from French flea markets.

The Beauty Corridor links wellness offerings like the Salle de Bain spa and Boudoir. Here moon-gold metal is juxtaposed by cracked-lacquer panels; a feature carried out by renowned Parisian atelier Atelier Maury.

The Beauty Corridor at Printemps New York

The Beauty Corridor at Printemps New York, photo credit: Gieves Anderson for Printemps New York

In fine dining restaurant Maison Passerelle, painted tiles re-appear alongside stained glass windows—re-introduced by Paris-based specialist Studio Pierre Marie. The perfect demonstration of old and new world meeting, Wine Shop brings together wood accents with green marble.

“We were very inspired by the heritage of Printemps—the mosaics, the stained glass, the patterns, the original art—but this is in New York,” added Gonzalez. “It’s a new story. It’s a city where everything is possible. I don’t think this project could have been designed anywhere else because New York is very special. Here, there are no boundaries.”

Maison Passerelle at Printemps New York, photo credit: Gieves Anderson for Printemps New York

Other collaborators include Brooklyn sculptor William Coggin and Belgian artist Charles Kaisin. The former crafted a bar counter with organic forms resembling sea coral. The latter introduced a bird-inspired installation to the salon.
Printemps New York is whimsical and sophisticated; transportive and rooted in place; French and American. This new chapter for Printemps, as it unfolds in New York, promises to enrich the local cultural landscape.

Sneaker Room at Printemps New York

Sneaker Room at Printemps New York, photo credit: Gieves Anderson for Printemps New York

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