On Thursday evening, Louis Vuitton gathered an A-list crowd in New York to toast the opening of its 57th Street store. Technically a temporary space, as the Fifth Avenue store undergoes a multiyear renovation, the boutique is the largest Louis Vuitton store in the U.S. and its many features — a café, chocolate shop, library and more — had partygoers stopped in their tracks.
“I’m very excited, I’ve been running around here like a child in a candy shop,” said Cynthia Erivo at the start of the evening.
The star of “Wicked” was dressed in a sweeping green Louis Vuitton gown for her quick stop into the store. (She was due at the New York premiere of the movie later in the evening.)
“It’s just beautiful. All the new pieces and some vintage piece that we now know are coming back — I’m excited,” Erivo added.
The “Wicked” press tour has taken her and costar Ariana Grande all over the world, with countless major fashion moments along the way. When asked for a favorite, Erivo replied “One? Only?”
“The Academy Gala with all the beading and embroidery and that beautiful mint green that it came in was just gorgeous,” she added of the Louis Vuitton gown she wore to the event, held in October. “And then the vinyl acid green with the silk rolled silk coat that I got to wear [to the Los Angeles premiere].”
Other VIP guests included Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Connelly, Ana de Armas, Martha Stewart, Juliana Canfield, Ella Hunt, Este Haim, Nina Dobrev and Eve Hewson.
“I feel like it takes a retail experience and turns it into an immersive adventure,’ Connelly said of the store. “The art and these sculptures with the trunks, and the chocolate and the food and the library — it’s just a space filled with beautiful things. It’s really spectacular.”
The actress had chosen a dress for the night that she’d eyeballed as it came down the runway during the brand’s last show. De Armas had done the same, and was in a “stunning” cocktail dress she’d “marked” after seeing it on the model.
She’d yet to make her way through the food spaces, but was most eager to hit the chocolate bar.
“I want a box to go, too,” she said.
The actress is gearing up to promote the John Wick movie “Ballerina,” which will be released in June but is already starting press.
“This year I’m going to Comic Con Brazil, so that’s going to be a long run,” Armas said. “I’m very excited about that. We’re already talking about some inspiration and some looks for the press tour. It’s not all my call, it’s for Nicolas [Ghesquière] to put his input on there, that’s what he’s good at. Definitely some kind of vibe there — but maybe not a tutu.”
