Balenciaga opens first store in European airport

Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport is now home to Balenciaga’s first airport-based store in Europe, now available for the location’s intercontinental travellers to shop the luxury brand’s newest pieces.

The store, located in lounge two after security, offers women’s and men’s footwear, bags, accessories, eyewear and jewellery, with the store’s design drawing inspiration from Balenciaga’s Raw Architecture concept.

The space itself is reminiscent of a construction site, exhibited in the use of concrete tiles, colourless surfaces and distressed walls giving the space a weathered appearance. Aged features add to the desired atmosphere of decay, in which a selection from the label’s latest collections are displayed among the stripped backdrop.

The location already hosts a wide range of luxury brands, including Bvlgari, Gucci, Hermés and Burberry, allowing for its extensive foot traffic to gain access to exclusive products. According to the airport, it ranks third place in Europe for passenger transport and air transport movements.

Lagardère Travel Retail, which will now oversee the Balenciaga store, boasts a portfolio of more than 4800 stores, specialising in travel essentials and fashion, spread across 100 brands. The company additionally operates across 34 countries, in partnerships with 240 airports.