Fekkai abandoned his hectic salon at Bergdorf Goodman for this joint venture with Chanel, housed in the top five floors of the new Chanel building closer to Madison. Entered by elevator, the first floor reception area is approximately 2,100 square feet (the same square footage as the remaining four floors) and manages 400 customers a day from its central reception desk. This area offers merchandise along one wall and Fekkai even runs a small cafe with a terrace.
Fekkai wanted to instill a little of his native Aix-en-Provence in his new salon. If customers have the time or inclination to look around, they will find walls sponged warm gold with panels featuring terra-cotta figures, murals Fekkai bought at a bastide in the south of France and an eighteenth-century fountain he found in Aix, a city of fountains.
On the terrace, cafe tables glazed brilliant blue and yellow amid French cypress and evergreens and skyscrapers. (You can order light Mediterranean fare from the Provencal menu while having your nails done upstairs.) A special jacquard fabric with the fountain motif and salon logo covers reception chairs and cafe cushions. In terms of color and design, the space is very Provence. But the pace is midtown Manhattan all the way. When I was there, no one seemed to be looking around — they were too busy trying to get an appointment upstairs.
DESIGN: Berard Associates, New York City — Jerome Berard, president; Hillary Kimmelman, visual merchandising director; Karen Pollock, designer; Frederic Fekkai, New York City FIXTURING: Haggerty Millwork Corp., Mt. Kisco, N.Y. LIGHTING: Mesh & Juul Inc., Greenwich, Conn. FLOORING: Stone Source, New York City FINISHES: Prestige Painting, New York City (walls) MANNEQUINS/FORMS: Seven Continents Enterprises, Toronto (custom tester units) METALWORK: Edelman Metalworks, New York City