People/Products

Just one block from the frenetic activity of Turin’s Porta Nuova train station, the Via Giuseppe Luigi Lagrange (or Via Lagrange) is emblematic of the urban revival propelled by the winter Olympics held here in 2006. A traffic-free oasis, the rapidly gentrifying promenade is dotted with restored palazzi and museums, inviting gastronomic haunts, and such designer boutiques as Chanel, Miu Miu, and Prada. Among these, a new multibrand store, Lagrange12—so named for its address—offers more than immediately meets the eye from the street. Pristine single-label departments for Dior, Celine, St. Laurent, and Valen­tino—each designed by their in-house architectural teams—are located on the ground floor around the perimeter of this corner site, visible through the store’s windows and five entrances. What is not readily apparent to passersby, or those entering for the first time, is a luminous portal at the store’s core—behind the proprietary designer shops-within-the shop—which signals a unique retail experience.