The luxe life
Glitter galore: Texas' first Miu Miu store is fun and playful — see the firstlook video
The long wait is (almost) over for Houston's high fashion set. Miu Miu, the sophisticated yet playful sister label to fashion powerhouse Prada, opened a stand-alone store at The Galleria Thursday. Two-doors down along "luxury row" at the upscale shopping mall, a full-scale, stand-alone Prada store hopes to be ready for unveiling before Christmas.
At 3,436-square-feet, the Miu Miu store is large, but it seems much more intimate, with three distinct rooms that flow into each other like nesting dolls. As the accompanying video tour shows, the store decor is colorful, quirky and fun, much like the Miu Miu collection.
As this video tour shows, the store decor is colorful, quirky and fun, much like the Miu Miu collection.
The store is a mix of the old — walls are covered with Damask wallpaper and windows feature a Wedgewood blue backdrop with gold leaf trim — and new — shiny mirrors and glass, along with touches of bronze, highlight handbags and shoes in candy-colored shades.
Leather goods in more colors than the rainbow and sunglasses greet customers who enter the store into the first room. Among the designs: the classic Matelasse quilted handbag in various shades, the sparkling Nappa leather crystal clutch and the best-selling Madras handbag in three styles.
The second room is a shoe lover's delight, with glitter-studded trainers, colorful wedge platforms, jeweled ballerina flats and pumps with heels covered in rhinestones.
The third — and last room — features ready-to-wear clothing from the spring 2012 and resort collections that are favorites of hip, young celebs like Hailee Steinfeld, Camilla Belle, Emma Roberts and Dakota Fanning. Among highlights: Sweaters dotted with hand-beaded puppies, short sundresses in lightning bolt patterns, pastel cable knit cardigans, faile minishirts, lace tops and a fushia dress with a bow at thigh level.
For the young, high-fashion Houston shopper not on a budget, the new Miu Miu store is an early Christmas present. And another indication that Houston's economy still has room for the luxe life.
A staircase in Gucci's signature Rosso Ancora leads shoppers to the second floor. Photo by Pablo Enriquez for Gucci
Houston Galleria will be one of the first boutiques to open with Gucci’s latest store window concept, Endless Narratives.Photo by Pablo Enriquez for Gucci
