Heritage | Galerie des Galeries

On 15 January 1894, two cousins from Alsace, Théophile Bader and Alphonse Kahn, opened the novelty shop "Aux Galeries Lafayette" in Paris with the ambition of giving access to the best of commerce and creation.

Nearly 130 years later, the Galeries Lafayette group continues to bring this commitment to life on a daily basis by transmitting, inspiring and helping its visitors and employees discover the rich heritage of its shops.

Savoir Faire Savoir

As part of the SAVOIR FAIRE SAVOIR program, Galeries Lafayette is inviting contemporary designers to immerse themselves in its historical archives. This large-scale initiative in support of the applied arts aims to foster a dialogue between the department store’s heritage and contemporary creation by encouraging artists to design a unique object that, through its aesthetics, function, or craftsmanship, resonates with the brand’s archives and heritage.

Each year, this program brings together two generations of creators: an emerging talent, who is awarded a one-year research residency within the archives, and two established artists from the worlds of fashion and design, each invited to design a signature piece that enriches the discourse and perspectives surrounding the applied arts.

Archive (s)

In order to maintain a close link between today's company and its history, the Galeries Lafayette group created a Heritage and Archives department in 2008, which preserves and promotes the department store's historical collection in a dedicated space on the 9th floor of the Galeries Lafayette Haussmann shop. This collection, regularly enriched by new acquisitions, is made up of documents, furniture and ready-to-wear items, retracing over 125 years of history.

Architecture (s)

With their century-old heritage, the Galeries Lafayette Group's stores represent a unique architectural and cultural heritage, such as Galeries Lafayette Haussmann in Paris.
A true architectural jewel with its Art Nouveau dome inaugurated in 1912, the iconic department stores', ambassador of a certain French art of living, is an emblematic place of Parisian commerce, rich in historical anecdotes.

Guided tours

Guided tours in French and English are organised two Saturdays and two Sundays a month at Galeries Lafayette Haussmann. A special event offered outside opening hours, for an intimate and exclusive discovery of the department stores', its history and its architecture. The tour reveals the shop's backstage areas, including the famous 1912 Art Nouveau cupola, recently restored.
Adding to the classic tour route the discovery of Stairway To Heaven, the new artistic commission by Studio GGSV in one of the department store's historic staircases.