New Chanel shop, Burlington Arcade, London

Burlington Arcade, London
Previously home to independent antique jewelers and boutique stores, Burlington Arcade is to undergo an enormous transformation. Currently the home of an array of shops and boutiques such as the House of Cashmere and Vintage Rolex, the Burlington Arcade history positions the area as a precursor for the modern shopping centre.

Burlington Arcade, Chanel
Chanel, the French fashion house, looks set to change the fortunes of the 195 year old shopping mall as it brings it's watch, millinery, cashmere and swimwear lines to Mayfair. The arcade has been much discussed in recent years, with the so called 'Battle of Burlington' ensuing after US property group Thor Equities, and European investor Meyer Bergman, bought the mall in 2010. Stephen Fry was amongst a crowd of well known faces to campaign to keep the character of the arcade, in opposition to the new owner's proposed transformations. Other new stores will include lingerie brand La Pearla, for example.

Culture Whisper thinks...
Chanel's takeover of Burlington Arcade is testament to the success of their brand: Chanel net worth is valued by Forbes as being 7 billion dollars. With planned investment and development for their cashmere line, the fashion house remains a confident player in the luxury market. Bruno Pavlovsky, the house’s president of fashion, said: “London is a key fashion city and it has a mix of local and international shoppers. In London you can find both the big streets with the big boutiques from the big brands as well as intimate, small locations for small brands. This is what we like and all of these areas are very busy.” This new Chanel store, for its idiosyncratic location, will be high on the top shops to visit in London.