A $42,300 Haut à courroies leather bag depicting an “endless road,” boxing gloves in sumptuous leather and a VIP salon are some of the only-in-Las Vegas features of the newly expanded Hermès store inside The Shops at Crystals located center Strip.
“Las Vegas is so special because it allows a brand to capture clientele from all over the world,” says Hermès USA president-CEO Robert B. Chavez.
The 13,000 square-foot, two-floor corner boutique features luxe goods from all 16 of Hermès’ craft métiers (leather, saddlery and silk among them) and a focus on VIP customer service. Within this store, every delicate item has its rightful place, from the elaborate multi-panel necktie gallery, which displays each swath of fabric in its full length, to what seems like endless rows of fragrance bottles in varying shapes and sizes.
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“The new Crystals store is almost three times the size of the original and that allows us to bring in a significant amount of merchandise that we were not able to carry before,” Chavez says. “We’re also showing furniture and a big home area. We can do a table setting, we can do a living room setting, we can do an office setting. This category is in-demand in the Las Vegas market.” Think lighting, home furnishings, fabrics and wallpapers.
Housed inside the Daniel Libeskind-designed retail center, Parisian architecture agency RDAI added its touches to the boutique to complement the building of glass and metal, which stuns millions of tourists who pass by its doors every year. From the outside, there are double-high show windows, and inside, salon environments provide dedicated space for men, women and home. Floors made of Hermès’ signature herringbone mosaic tile and terrazzo lead to an elliptical stairway from the first-floor men’s collections to second floor fine jewelry and watch salon, and women’s collections.
One of the most unique facets of this store is the VIP area, which Chavez says will be rolled out in other stores as well — giving clients the ability to view distinct items in complete privacy.
“We have a lot of special products in the VIP room such as a diamond 25cm centimeter Birkin bag. There are one-of-a-kind pieces that you’re not going to find anywhere else and that’s what makes Crystals very, very special,” Chavez says. “It’s really the first time here in the U.S. that we’ve done a VIP room. We did it because we do have a lot of high rollers and we want to be able to cater to them and pamper them.”
Channeling the brand’s DNA as a harness maker, one specialty item that will be available only at the Las Vegas store is a pair of boxing gloves, paying homage to the city’s rich legacy in the sport.
“Boxing is an inherent tradition of Las Vegas, so that’s why the team felt that it would be something really unique and really special,” Chavez says.
In that vein, Hermès’ biggest category continues to be leather bags, followed by scarves and jewelry. To entice Las Vegas’ impulse buyers, the grand entrance to the store features a “major scarf moment,” according to Chavez. “We must remain relevant in the world today and if you become irrelevant, you’re going to be dead. I think our customers appreciate that. [We] also [have a] very, very limited distribution strategy. You can’t find Hermes everywhere and our customers like that.”
