The recently opened Asprey boutique at the Peninsula London hotel offers an immersive experience that treats the lifestyle brand’s jewelry like artifacts, blurring the lines between retail and art exhibition.
This is Asprey’s second London location. StoreyStudio, the London-based architecture and interior design firm that designed the new 2,293-square-foot space in Belgravia, also designed the Asprey 240 flagship boutique at 36 Bruton St. in Mayfair.
Asprey chairman John Rigas says Peninsula executives approached the brand about opening a shop within the hotel, which has 190 guest rooms and suites and 25 luxury residences. Although Asprey dates to 1781 and the hotel just opened last fall, the two partners share a love of British heritage as well as a commitment to customer service.
Plus, brick-and-mortar locations are essential to fully appreciating what his brand stands for, Rigas says.
“Asprey has been crafting luxury objects with the highest level of value, quality, and uniqueness, always keeping excellence and innovation as the beating heart of the house,” he says. “Those items typically require to be showcased in a physical environment for the client to see them, feel, and experience them, and eventually be inspired to acquire them.”
The new store features a similar design and color palette—purple and pistachio—as Asprey 240. Purple is Asprey’s signature color and is a direct reference to its ties to British royalty, Rigas says. The Peninsula boutique also took inspiration from a moorish English landscape.
“There are shades of lilac, aubergine, dark green, and heather in color gradients and ombre hues—all colors that you would find in the English countryside, especially up north,” Rigas says. “The idea is to welcome clients in a space with calming hues where they are immersed in the brand with all of their senses heightened.”
StoreyStudio head Robert Storey, an alum of London’s Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design, is celebrated for his work creating artistic sensory environments. “The result is brilliant, offering a very rich customer experience,” says Rigas.
The new boutique will carry certain jewelry exclusively, including new pieces in the Imperial Jadeite collection that Asprey introduced in late 2022. These exclusive jadeite jewels nod to the Peninsula hotel group’s Asian heritage.
One highly distinctive feature at the Asprey Peninsula shop is a 16-foot bar that runs alongside a window and displays classic barware items like cocktail shakers to glasses. There are plans to use this area to host special events, such as mixology experiences for clients as they shop.
The Asprey boutique has a prime location in the Peninsula, with a large window overlooking Hyde Park Corner. The hotel is located at 1 Grosvenor Place, directly across from Hyde Park Corner and the Wellington Arch. Many of London’s most iconic attractions, including Buckingham Palace, the royal parks, and Harrods, are within a 15-minute walk.
Top: At the new Peninsula London hotel, Asprey has opened its second boutique in the U.K. capital. (Photos courtesy of Asprey)
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