Louis Vuitton's new V.I.C. salon - that's Very Important Customer - has been revealed.
The salon, situated above the new Louis Vuitton store on Queen St and the first of its kind for the luxury brand in the Southern Hemisphere, will be a home away from home forAuckland's rich and fashionable.
The salon houses a 110-year-old Louis Vuitton checkerboard trunk with New Zealand shipping stickers on it. But in keeping with the company's discreet approach, the original owner is being kept under wraps.
Store manager Moana Hazeldine says the room will be used for exclusive showcases and for "loyal customers who want a bit of privacy".
Mrs Hazeldine has been with Louis Vuitton since it first opened in Auckland in 1992 and has since built up an army of loyal local customers.
She credits the sense of tradition and the ever-changing atmosphere for her faithfulness to the brand - and possibly the access to all those luxury goods.
Louis Vuitton celebrated the new store with a glamorous launch party on Thursday night. Two black and white rooms were created especially for the event.
And despite predictions of a recession, this is the second big luxury brand opening in Auckland in the past two months. Gucci opened its first New Zealand store last month.
