LV The Place Seoul: Why Louis Vuitton’s newest retail destination is a high-fashion manifesto

Tatler flew to Seoul on December 3, 2025, for the grand opening of Louis Vuitton’s Visionary Journeys Seoul, a new retail destination within LV The Place at Shinsegae The Reserve— a reimagined area within the famed Shinsegae department store in downtown Seoul. The city’s sharp -9°C weather was no match for the heat generated at the star-studded event. The six-storey destination showcased 200 meticulously curated pieces and traced the Maison’s evolution from visionary trunkmaker to global arbiter of style.

South Korea’s biggest stars including Lisa of Blackpink, J-Hope of BTS, and Felix of Stay Kids joined the Maison's inner circle for the grand unveiling wrapped in looks designed by Nicolas Ghesquière, artistic director of the brand’s women’s collection and Pharrell Williams who helms the men's collections.

Lisa of Blackpink, J-Hope of BTS, and Felix of Stay Kids at the grand opening

Before the main event, those lucky enough to score an invite attended an audience with makeup mogul Pat McGrath, who flew in for the occasion. The creative force of La Beauté Louis Vuitton was, expectedly, iconic. She told guests “It’s so wonderful to be here today and see everybody try on the incredible formulas, [see our] beautiful packaging and share this whole world of accessories with you all.” The brand’s beauty collection debuted in August 2025 with 55 lipstick shades, ten balms and eight eyeshadows. Guests played with colours via sleek screens, but the true object of desire were the monogrammed trunks staged as fashionably-filled makeup cases.

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The Origins room at LV The Place Seoul traces the 1896 birth of the iconic Monogram canvas, navigating through six defining chapters that transformed a visionary trunkmaker into a global style arbiter

Then came the main act. The “Louis Vuitton Visionary Journeys Seoul” began in the mesmerising Trunkscape room—a tunnel lined with iconic hat boxes—before spiralling upwards through immersive spaces conceived with architect Shohei Shigematsu OMA, the Office for Metropolitan Architecture, that blurred the boundaries between retail, museum and sensory theatre. The Origins room traced the 1896 birth of the Monogram canvas through six defining chapters, whilst Packing Fashion revealed the elegant symbiosis between wardrobe and voyage. In Transports, heritage was showcased alongside Pharrell Williams' vibrant newer collections—classic Monogram exploding into kaleidoscopic colour and pattern. Each floor revealed another chapter: vitrines showcasing iconic Speedy and Alma bags reimagined by previous artistic directors Marc Jacobs, Virgil Abloh and Kim Jones; luminous trunk columns crafted from traditional Korean hanji paper suspended like lanterns; and the Workshop room where supple leathers and brass fittings became protagonists in Louis Vuitton's narrative.

Read more: Louis Vuitton marks 130 years of the monogram with heritage icons and capsule collections

Stray Kids’ Felix explores the immersive galleries at Shinsegae The Reserve, embodying the bold, forward-thinking aesthetic of the Louis Vuitton universe

Global superstar Lisa of Blackpink joins the Maison’s inner circle in Seoul, wearing a custom look by Nicolas Ghesquière for the unveiling of LV The Place

House Ambassador J-Hope of BTS brings his signature energy to the grand opening of Visionary Journeys Seoul, wearing a sharp, architectural look from Pharrell Williams’ latest men’s collection

The Packing Fashion room reveals the elegant symbiosis between wardrobe and voyage within the six-storey destination.

The Watch room—tracing the Maison’s evolution from visionary trunkmaker to global arbiter of style at LV The Place at Shinsegae The Reserve

Inside the Workshop room, where supple leathers and brass fittings become protagonists in the Louis Vuitton narrative

Following the lead of artist and collaborator Takashi Murakami, the new Seoul flagship celebrates the iconic partnerships that have shaped the Maison’s "Visionary Journeys."

Following acclaimed openings in Shanghai and Bangkok, Seoul's iteration was triumphant— a vertical universe where commerce, culture and craft converged under one roof. It highlighted the future of luxury retail—immersive, experiential and utterly unforgettable. The sentiment was echoed by renowned artist and longtime collaborator Takashi Murakami who praised Louis Vuitton for constantly thinking outside of the box. LV The Place Seoul is far more than a store; it is a manifesto—and reminds us that true luxury lies in the relentless energy to think new— and to think ahead.

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