Saks Fifth Avenue has opened a bag and accessory boutique space for Kering-owned French luxury brand Balenciaga on the main floor of its CF Toronto Eaton Centre store in Toronto. The Balenciaga boutique replaces Celine which vacated the space last month prior to Celine’s standalone flagship opening at Toronto’s Yorkdale Shopping Centre.
The main floor Balenciaga boutique is located next to a Dior bag and accessory concession on one side and a Givenchy shop on the other. The main floor of Saks also houses concession spaces for Louis Vuitton, Saint Laurent, Prada and Piaget as well as wholesale shop spaces for brands Bottega Veneta, Chloé, Chopard and Birks.
Balenciaga bags were already carried at Saks in downtown Toronto and the new boutique space allows the brand to expand its assortment while presenting the collection more prominently. A dedicated Balenciaga women’s ready-to-wear boutique space has been present on the third floor of Saks in downtown Toronto since the store opened in February of 2016. Balenciaga menswear is also carried on the second floor of the store.
In Canada, Balenciaga operates a flagship store at Toronto’s Yorkdale Shopping Centre which opened in late 2019 as well as concession boutique spaces at Holt Renfrew stores in Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal. The brand can be found at Nordstrom including a women’s shop-in-store in Vancouver.
Spanish fashion designer Cristóbal Balenciaga opened his first storefront in San Sebastián, Spain, in 1917, prior to expanding into Madrid and Barcelona. The Spanish Civil War forced Mr. Balenciaga to move his operations to Paris where he opened a couture house on Avenue George V in 1937. Balenciaga has morphed over the years from a brand known for elegant evening gowns to one featuring a wide range of fashions, including streetwear.
