Luxury on water - The Louis Vuitton Island Maison, which opens to the public on Sept 18, will offer shoppers not only a premier selection of LV’s products but a redefined retail experience.

Housed in one of the two stand-alone glass and steel pavilions at Marina Bay Sands (MBS), the Island is the brand’s first Maison in Southeast Asia, and also Singapore’s fifth store.

It boasts a disarming interior designed by Peter Marino, which delicately balances the natural light from the outside with the conscientiously laid out product displays.

The recurring motifs within are of travel and water, which hark back to the French fashion house’s first products - flat-bottom and lightweight trunks which travellers carried across the seas on steamers.

There are three ways to enter the LV Island Maison: Using an outdoor bridge, arriving via a boat and disembarking at the pavilion’s jetty, or through a tunnel which links the Maison and the MBS mall.

The tunnel doubles up as a cultural space, which for the opening will feature an inaugural exhibition themed “Islands”, with art pieces by 15 international artists.

“Luxury and art are both expressions of passion and emotion. Visitors come to Louis Vuitton not only to shop but also to experience emotion,” said Yves Carcelle, Chairman and CEO of Louis Vuitton.

The store looks to be particularly well-received by Singapore’s mainland Chinese tourists. The Chinese group is, after all, Louis Vuitton’s number one clientele today, Mr Carcelle said at a press conference on Sept 17.

A special guest at the preview, Hong Kong veteran actor Chow Yun Fat, said that the feng shui - or geomancy - of LV’s Island Maison would be very good, since it was surrounded by water.

He however jokingly added a disclaimer that he was no expert in the field.

Click here for more photos

Photos: AsiaOne, Paul Lim