Maison Birks, the Canadian jewelry retail empire owned by the Birks Group, is perhaps most famous in the United States for being Meghan Markle’s favorite jeweler.
The brand-new royal wore Birks opal stud earrings for her official engagement portrait with Prince Harry and diamond earring jackets to the queen’s Christmas lunch—along with several other jewels from the brand in the past six months. (Markle reportedly began a relationship with Birks when she was living in Toronto filming Suits, having been introduced to the maison by her stylist, Jessica Mulroney.)
This week the company (which, interestingly, doesn’t have a single photo of Markle on its website) reopened its massive flagship boutique in Montreal after an extensive renovation.
The new Maison Birks flagship on Square Phillips in downtown Montreal boasts 7,700 square feet of selling space and shop-in-shops from Chaumet, Messika, Van Cleef & Arpels, and the Birks collections. New timepiece brands that debuted with the renovated store including Rolex, Cartier, Jaeger LeCoultre, Breitling, and TAG Heuer.
The flagship also incorporates a new bridal bar, dubbed the Birks Bridal Bar, filled with engagement and wedding ring styles. And the reopening marks the launch of the Birks Concierge Service, which “allows our in-house experts to assist customers in the creation of bespoke jewelry or to source any of the exquisite, one-of-a-kind jewels they have been dreaming of,” according to a prepared statement from Birks.
Those looking for a respite when shopping can sit in the Birks Lounge—a seating area with a Nespresso coffee station where books and heritage Birks pieces are displayed.
The grand boutique, located on the ground floor of the Hôtel Birks, was originally built in 1894. And with the revamp, its historical elements, which include an incredible molded ceiling, are highlighted prominently.
A lighter color palette, modern fixtures, and an airier layout have made the already beautiful space pretty magnificent-looking.
Take a peek inside:
Inside the new Maison Birks in Montreal
The Rolex display
The Chaumet shop-in-shop
The Van Cleef & Arpels shop-in-shop
The store’s historic-feeling front door
Eva Hartling, vice president of brand management and chief marketing officer, said in a statement, “With new displays that allow customers to browse at their own pace, we now offer a comfortable and casual shopping concept that is line with our target clientele of women self-purchasers, as well as fine jewelry connoisseurs and international timepiece aficionados.”
Top: The ribbon-cutting ceremony for the newly renovated store (all photos by Christina Esteban, courtesy of Birks Group)
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