A playground for her
Henri Bendel has arrived in Las Vegas, and now it’s painting the town brown and white. The iconic luxury retailer, known for its trademark brown and white stripes, recently opened its doors at the Fashion Show Mall. Walking through the archway (modeled after the legendary Fifth Avenue flagship store), you’ll be transported into a world of sparkling baubles and heavenly scents. That’s where I recently sat down with Chris Fiore, president of Henri Bendel, to find out what they have in store for Las Vegas.
Desert Companion: What does Henri Bendel bring to Las Vegas? What sets it apart from other retailers?
Chris Fiore: Accessible luxury. Henri Bendel brings an assortment of energy and excitement in the leather goods category, jewelry category and gifting category all under one roof. That’s difficult to find. What we offer is unique to Henri Bendel, steeped in our heritage. Modern versions of what we are known for include the heritage of New York, the quintessential style of New York, and we put it together in a way that is hard to match. There is so much about our assortment that is right for the Vegas customer from a fashion point of view — and from a “bling party” point of view.
DC: In addition to that, Henri Bendel’s personal fragrance bar is legendary.
CF: Henri Bendel was the first American retailer to launch a private label fragrance business. He was a personal friend of Coco Chanel, and introduced her to the United States almost 80 years ago. We will be relaunching our private label collection in the spring. Home fragrance is also a big piece of our business. We have over 40 different scents, a different one for every room of your house and every mood.
DC: Known for carrying the new and next “it” accessories, how does Henri Bendel stay ahead of the trends?
CF: We try our best to run a little faster, work a little harder and keep looking over our shoulders to see what is out there, and try to get it to market, certainly if not before, then as soon as our competition. There are interpretations of style that we “Bendelize.” We take a style and make it our own, and this is the only place you’ll find it.
DC: Who is the typical Henri Bendel shopper?
CF: You are, she is and she is. Our target is probably late 20s to early 30s. That’s who we think of when we design, but as far as a woman who comes into our store and finds something she is emotionally connected to, I don’t think there is an age limit.
DC: Lavish window displays, celebrity appearances and events have come to be the New York standard for Henri Bendel. What should Las Vegas expect to see in the coming months?
CF: Next for us will be the opening of our second location at The Forum Shops at Caesars in November, with another slam-dunk opening party. You can always expect to see newness in our stores. New products and focus every two weeks. We will always deliver fashion and excitement.