Saks Fifth Avenue has given its seventh floor a facelift.

Even though it’s still a piece in progress, the retailer has taken the wraps off a dramatically improved men’s designer ready-to-wear and advanced contemporary presentation at its Latest York City flagship that boasts 15 latest in-store shops and a significantly brighter and more inviting aesthetic.

Among the many additions are Alexander McQueen’s first concept shop, designed by creative director Sarah Burton in partnership with Chilean architect Smiljan Radic; Balenciaga’s first Raw Architecture concept shop; Balmain’s first men’s shop within the U.S. featuring its latest global concept; Burberry’s first concept shop in Latest York City reflecting the design of its Sloane Street store in London, and the primary Celine Homme, Palm Angels and Bottega Veneta men’s shops within the U.S. There are also latest shops for Thom Browne, Versace and Dolce & Gabbana.

The 40,000-square-foot floor shouldn’t be yet complete and by the top of this yr, Dior, Louis Vuitton, Off-White and Saint Laurent Paris shops will even make their debuts.

However it’s not only the shops which might be latest. All told, 23 established and emerging brands have been added to the combo including Blk Dnm, Celine, Frame, Jil Sander, June 79, JW Anderson, Louis Vuitton, Maison Margiela, Martine Rose, Nahmias, Wales Bonner, Who Decides War and NSF. And there’s more within the works for spring when Bode, Comme des Garçons Homme, Dickies, Junya Watanabe, Sacai, Sky High Farm Workwear, Undercover and Drole de Monsieur will join the assortment.

“That is the primary phase of our seventh-floor renovation,” said Louis DiGiacomo, senior vice chairman and general merchandise manager of menswear for Saks. “We began working on it last yr and it’s going to be accomplished in February.”

The seventh-floor revamping is a component of Saks Fifth Avenue’s $250 million-plus grand renovation project that features a major reimagining of the flagship. That features a predominant floor focused on luxury leather goods and accessories and a powerful Rem Koolhaas-designed multicolored escalator that leads as much as an expanded beauty floor on two.

The 646,000-square-foot flagship accounts for about 20 percent of Saks’ total volume that 4 years ago was appraised at $3.7 billion. Saks or its parent Hudson’s Bay Co. now not reveal sales.

Men’s, which accounts for a reported 30 percent of the corporate’s total sales, is housed on the sixth and seventh floors of the shop. In 2019, the shop created a luxury men’s footwear department that was expanded by 60 percent to eight,000 square feet with some 2,000 stock keeping units from 60 brands.

A staircase with colourful accents that mimic the escalator on the predominant floor connects the newly renovated seventh floor to the shoe department. “It’s our way of making one men’s store experience,” DiGiacomo said.

The brand new space is heavily dedicated to shops, which indicates Saks’ belief in partnering with its vendors to create unique experiences. “We consider in shops,” he said, “and telling a whole lifestyle story. They’re the important thing to the expansion of the lads’s business.”

As well as, the flow of the ground has been enhanced by a redesigned aisle that travels your complete length of the Fifth Avenue side, and the previously covered bank of windows within the rear have been unveiled, providing natural light and a view onto the avenue.

“It’s brighter and way more open,” DiGiacomo said.

Along with the airy feeling of the ground, it features “two major touchpoints,” including a “hub” within the atrium between the elevator banks where customers can explore latest and emerging designers, collaborations and other special products that shall be featured there. An analogous area shall be in front of the windows and there shall be seating areas throughout to encourage shoppers to remain some time and “socialize” with others, he said.

These touchpoints are a method to create “balance” on the ground and present options outside of the shops, DiGiacomo said.

Throughout the space the assortment has been updated to focus more on lifestyle offerings. So when walking into the Gucci shop, for instance, customers will find accessories and footwear along with apparel.

“We’ve curated full lifestyle assortments, which is unparalleled anywhere else in town,” he claimed.

Because the floor began to open, he said business has been “unbelievable, and gets stronger every week.” What this proves, DiGiacomo believes, is that “our customer wants more of a fashion element and we stand for fashion.”

The merchant said the elevated assortment reflects the post-pandemic needs of the client, who has returned to the office, is traveling again and attending events. “We’re seeing a shift to less casual and he needs a wardrobe that’s functional and versatile to take him from the office to evening. And luxury may be very vital,” DiGiacomo said, pointing to the “easy tailoring” that marks the offering in addition to the loafers and dress shoes which might be trending again.

At the top of this yr, Saks will start working on the sixth floor, which houses men’s luxury collections and accessories along with footwear. That’s scheduled to be accomplished by the autumn of 2023.

“Men’s continues to perform and this floor is a testament to that,” DiGiacomo said.

Although the main focus is on the flagship, Saks can be bringing a taste of this latest technique to its branches, which DiGiacomo said the corporate “continues to raise with more fashion” particularly in locations which have standalone men’s stores corresponding to Boston and Greenwich, Connecticut, in addition to strong men’s locations corresponding to Chicago.