Printemps, the legendary French luxury department store, opens its first U.S. location in Manhattan, offering a transformative retail experience.
By Fashion Editorial Staff
The gilded doors of Printemps New York swung open today, marking a historic moment for the 160-year-old French luxury institution as it unveiled its first-ever American outpost. Nestled within the Art Deco walls of One Wall Street in Manhattan’s Financial District, this 55,000-square-foot retail sanctuary introduces New Yorkers to a distinctly Parisian vision of luxury—one that transcends the traditional department store concept.
The Parisian Dream in Manhattan
Entering Printemps is stepping into the dreamlike world of acclaimed designer Laura Gonzalez. Her vision for the space evokes the eclectic charm of a Parisian apartment rather than the sterile precision typical of luxury retail. The two-story wonderland is a sensory journey: hand-painted murals adorn the walls, custom sculptures demand attention, and whimsical lighting fixtures cast a soft, dreamlike glow over meticulously curated collections.
“We were deeply inspired by the heritage of Printemps—the mosaics, stained glass, the original art—but this is New York,” explains Gonzalez, who began her design journey in the archives of Printemps Paris. “This is a new story. New York is a city where anything is possible. This project couldn’t have been designed anywhere else because this city is special. Here, there are no boundaries.”
Global CEO Jean-Marc Bellaiche echoes this sentiment, speaking at today’s ribbon-cutting ceremony, which was attended by Vogue's Global Editorial Director, Dame Anna Wintour. “We didn’t want to create just another department store,” he notes. “This is a cultural embassy—a celebration of French savoir-faire, reimagined for the American context.”
The spectacle begins immediately upon arrival. Visitors are greeted by Christian Pellizzari’s striking glass sculpture series Odyssey of Nature’s Rebirth at the entrance, followed by a Sneaker Room where ceiling-mounted LED screens display hypnotic abstract visuals. This space effortlessly transforms from a meditation sanctuary to an immersive art installation gallery.
Culinary Masterpieces at Every Corner
One of the most anticipated features of Printemps New York is its array of dining venues, helmed by culinary director Gregory Gourdet. The Top Chef alum and James Beard Award winner (for Portland’s Kann, 2023 Best New Restaurant) brings his unique vision to five distinct food and beverage concepts throughout the store.
Café Jalu, an all-day café named after Printemps founders Jules and Augustine Jaluzot, serves sublime Haitian hot chocolate among other offerings. On the second floor, the raw bar Salon Vert—drawing inspiration from its Parisian counterpart—presents a sophisticated menu blending Jean-Georges influences with Caribbean and African flavors. Standout dishes include a velvety sweet potato and plantain soup with scotch bonnet peppers, and a reimagined cauliflower dish elevated with a Haitian twist on green goddess dressing.
Gourdet’s pièce de résistance, the 85-seat fine dining restaurant Maison Passerelle (“gateway house” in French), will debut in mid-April with unmistakable Michelin ambitions. With a dedicated entrance on Broadway, the restaurant explores the culinary legacy of French colonization in former territories. Gourdet, who grew up in Queens in a Haitian immigrant family, combines his multicultural background with French techniques to create dishes like duck confit atop a West African-inspired spinach stew, brightened with ginger and chile, and dry-aged New York strip steak rubbed with organic Haitian coffee, chili, and spices.
Maison Passerelle’s design, also by Gonzalez, is equally profound. Together, they curated a striking fresco on the dining room wall, blending sunsets from former French colonies into a singular AI-generated image. The fresco was hand-executed by Atelier Roma, creating a vivid reminder of the cultural fusion at play. A Red Room Bar and champagne bar complement the culinary offerings, the latter strategically positioned near the couture salon, so that patrons can sip bubbles while contemplating investment pieces.
Exclusive Shopping Experiences
A quarter of Printemps New York’s inventory is exclusive to this location—items unavailable anywhere else outside Paris. “Our assortment blends vintage treasures with current designs, featuring the most sought-after maisons and many new brands entering the U.S. for the first time,” explains Bellaiche. “Our space is curated like the chicest closet, where every piece is selected for its craftsmanship, design, and unique story.”
The store spans ten distinctive realms, each carefully designed to evoke a particular mood or concept. The Garçonnière men’s department features contrasting pink moiré wallpaper and soft curtains, while the Beauty Corridor introduces French pharmacy brands to the American market. The Boudoir—a double-height space with moon gold-colored metal cladding and cracked lacquer screens—houses evening wear, vintage clothing, high fine jewelry, and original haute couture. And for preserving cherished garments, there’s even Atelier & Repair, a dedicated space for restoring beloved pieces.
The Red Room, a crown jewel of Art Deco architecture, is perhaps the most spectacular feature. Previously unseen by the public since 2001, this iconic space features 33-foot walls covered in 2.5 million red and gold ombré mosaic tiles beneath coved ceilings, originally designed by Hildreth Meière in 1931. The room has been reimagined as the women’s shoe sanctuary, where footwear rests on leaf-shaped pedestals illuminated by flower-formed light fixtures. An intricate gold mosaic “river” leads to the adjoining Red Room Bar.
A New Era of Luxury Retail
Printemps' arrival signals a powerful vote of confidence in brick-and-mortar luxury retail, especially in a time when the sector faces unprecedented challenges. It also highlights the ongoing renaissance of Lower Manhattan, transforming One Wall Street—from a historic temple of finance into a hybrid luxury residence and retail destination.
“What we’ve created here isn’t merely a place to shop,” notes Printemps US CEO Laura Lendrum. “It’s a destination where art, fashion, cuisine, and culture converge in ways that can only be experienced in person. This is retail as theater—an immersive journey of discovery.”
As New York’s retail landscape continues to evolve in the post-pandemic era, Printemps presents a bold vision for the future: experiential, transportive, and unafraid to blend commerce with culture. Sustainability is woven throughout the store’s design, from furniture made from upcycled materials to vintage and circular fashion pieces thoughtfully integrated into the collection.
“This concept is unlike anything else,” promises Bellaiche. “What we’ve created here physically embodies our core values of innovation, renewal, joyful connections, sophistication, and inclusiveness. It’s a lasting connection between New York and Paris.”
The message is clear: luxury isn’t just about what you buy—it’s about the world you’re invited to inhabit, if only for an afternoon.
Printemps New York is open Monday through Sunday from 8am to 7pm at One Wall Street, Manhattan.