Eyewear designer Thierry Lasry opens first store

By

Chenu Alexis

Translated by
Nicola Mira

Published
Jul 7, 2016

Ten years after launching his eponymous brand, French designer Thierry Lasry has opened his first ever store, in Paris. It is the start of a new retail strategy for the designer, currently based in New York. Until now, he had preferred to sell through wholesalers.

"Ever since the brand's launch in 2006, our strategy has been to develop the wholesale channel, explained Lasry, and we were soon available at the world's finest multi-brand stores, from Colette to Barneys. The level of expectation for our first shop was therefore set very high. "

Thierry Lasry's choice fell on the Seine's left bank and on the Saint-Germain-des-Prés area, where he lived for a few years before settling in New York. To fashion his first store, Lasry put his faith in interior designer Vincent Darré. "The approach was above all artistic, not commercial, he explained, with the underlying idea of creating a real experience for customers."

Lasry's Paris store at 40, rue du Four, is distinctive for its attention-grabbing marble façade. The interiors are a play in multiple perspectives, featuring a range of materials that include wood, brass and mirrors, combining a retro and a futuristic feel. The store was devised so that "the Thierry Lasry brand could be recognisable the world over," said the designer, and in the long term it is expected to be replicated in other major international cities.

The store will showcase to the public all of the brand's collections, including the collaborations (the most recent ones are those with Los Angeles tattoo artist Dr Woo, Fendi and Ali  Madhavi), the limited editions and archive items. In total, about 200 eyeglasses models. The Harry Lary collection, designed and developed by Thierry Lasry, is also available at the Paris store.

The French designer's eyeglasses are famous for being the choice of several celebrities, from Lady Gaga to Madonna, Kate Moss and Jennifer Lawrence, and have enjoyed worldwide distribution for the last 10 years. For 2017, Thierry Lasry has announced a series of new, surprising collaborations.