Balenciaga Opens Flagship Store at Shanghai’s Xintiandi Taikoo Hui

On December 12, Balenciaga unveiled its largest store in China at the Xintiandi Taikoo Hui in Shanghai. Situated in the prestigious luxury retail area on West Nanjing Road, the flagship store covers 940 square meters.

The store’s design takes inspiration from Balenciaga's original architectural style, blending rare industrial elements with a contemporary luxury shopping experience.

The exterior features a curved façade made of large dark smoky glass panels, with transparent windows allowing passersby a glimpse of the interior's materials. Inside, the design emphasizes the raw architectural style, with weathered surfaces and exposed structural elements like high ceilings and steel beams. The store’s spacious layout is divided into sections for ready-to-wear, bags, and footwear, with massive glass walls held up by steel frames and clothing racks creating distinct zones, offering an airy and light-filled environment.

The combination of recycled leather sofas and surfaces of glass, cement, concrete, steel, and aluminum creates a striking contrast, while the exposed ceiling grid complements the store’s linear design. The floor, with its timeless sheen, evokes the atmosphere of Cristóbal Balenciaga’s haute couture salons. The black-and-white diamond pattern mirrors the original décor of the Balenciaga store at 10 Avenue George V in Paris, seamlessly merging modernity with the brand's heritage.

The flagship also features a custom Apple Vision Pro headset, created in collaboration with Apple, offering customers an immersive 360° virtual experience. The headset lets visitors explore the latest updates on the “Balenciaga | Apple Vision Pro app,” including footage from the Spring 25 collection, the 53rd season of haute couture, and the Summer 25 collection runway show, as well as a tour of the iconic Balenciaga haute couture salon in Paris.

To celebrate the store's opening, a limited-edition item will be released outside of Paris for the first time, exclusively available at Balenciaga’s haute couture boutique. The item is inspired by the hand-painted craftsmanship seen in the 15th and 17th looks of the 53rd haute couture season. The Metalheads T-shirt features oversized distressed designs worn by iconic friends of the brand, styled in a retro band aesthetic.

Additionally, Balenciaga is launching a pre-sale for the China-exclusive Modu handbag, which was first presented at the Spring 25 collection show in Shanghai. Named after Shanghai, the "Magic City," the bag will be available alongside other exclusive items like the Bel Air tote, shoulder bag, and new sneaker designs. These include the Hike sneakers from the Spring 25 collection, which are inspired by hiking boots with unique lacing and sole patterns, as well as the 3XL studded sneakers. The store will also showcase the latest collections of ready-to-wear, bags, footwear, jewelry, eyewear, and accessories.

Coinciding with the store opening, Balenciaga launched “Balenciaga Music | Wu Muye Music Special,” a tribute to the renowned pianist’s fusion of Asian and European musical influences. The specially curated tracklist includes Wu Muye’s inspirations and favorite genres, ranging from classical to rock, jazz, and hip-hop, as well as an exclusive original composition.