Balzac Paris, Ecoalf, Graine: Four fashion names debut in Biarritz this summer
Long favored as a holiday destination by fashion and lifestyle brands, Biarritz is once again drawing attention with a wave of fresh openings. The chic seaside town on France's southwestern Basque coast is now home to four newcomers—Balzac Paris, Ecoalf, Graine, and Galeries Lafayette —each offering a unique approach to local retail. Here's a look at the latest additions.
Balzac Paris launches a summer pop-up
Balzac Paris, the women's fashion label founded in 2014 by Chrysoline de Gastines, her husband Victorien de Gastines, and brother-in-law Charles Fourmaux, continues its regional expansion with a seasonal boutique in Biarritz. Located just steps from the ocean at 54 Avenue Edouard VII, the pop-up is open from mid-June to mid-September.
Reflecting its seaside location, the store highlights airy summer pieces—dresses and swimwear being the stars of the assortment. This pop-up aligns with the brand's ongoing regional development strategy, following a late 2024 opening in Toulouse and upcoming debuts planned for Bordeaux, Aix-en-Provence, Marseille, and Lyon.
Ecoalf opens a permanent flagship
Spanish sustainable fashion brand Ecoalf has officially established itself in Biarritz with a permanent location at 4 Avenue de l'Impératrice, just a short walk from the beach. Founded in 2009 by Javier Goyeneche, the label chose the city for its strong surf culture, showcasing swimwear and casualwear that reflect the coastal spirit. The 110-square-meter space reflects Ecoalf's eco-conscious ethos, featuring net-zero emissions and interiors made of repurposed wood. The store caters to the whole family while advancing the brand's environmental mission.
Graine unveils its first standalone store
Graine, a young ready-to-wear label founded in 2019 by Chloé Chabaud and her father Christophe, has opened its first physical store at 54 Rue Gambetta—right in the brand's birthplace. Known for collections 'nourished by nature, seasons, and contrast,' Graine produces all its garments in Portugal and brings its vision of mindful fashion to life with this new retail experience.
Galeries Lafayette opens a rooftop dining destination
Galeries Lafayette's real estate division, Citynove, has unveiled a major renovation project atop its historic Biarritz store, which first opened in 1903. After a year of work, the department store has restored its rooftop terrace and rebuilt a glass canopy reminiscent of the original installed in 1925.
Overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, the revamped rooftop is now home to a fine-dining restaurant named Biarritz Bonheur, led by former rugby star Imanol Harinordoquy and chef Jean-Michel Suhubiette. According to the company, the project reflects 'the department store's commitment to preserving heritage while embracing modern experiences.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
France 24
an hour ago
- France 24
Utopia and fragile democracy at Art Basel fair
The four-day event in the northern Swiss border city of Basel, which closes on Sunday, features more than 280 galleries presenting works by around 4,000 artists. The monumental works section features an 85-metre-long installation entitled "The Voyage -- A March To Utopia". Created by the studio of Dutch artist Joep van Lieshout, it features 80 large sculptures forming a procession of absurd objects, where "everybody walks in the same direction... on their way to a happy place", the artist told AFP. The journey begins with a team of oxen, followed by all means of getting to that better world, including a walking stick, a cart, a toilet on wheels, a wheelchair and a mobile surgical theatre for those struggling to keep up. Next come objects representing everything the convoy is carrying, followed by sculptures of ghosts symbolising those who didn't make it to the end. It ends with machines set to destroy the road behind them, so that "there's no going back", the artist explained. Flag of logs A stone's throw away, Spanish artist Jaume Plensa presents a work composed of 21 aluminium doors engraved with the articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1948. Entitled "Forgotten Dreams", it invites viewers to contemplate collective aspirations and not forget the horrors of the past. Vietnam-born Danish artist Danh Vo has installed a huge US flag made from hundreds of logs and 13 steel stars, referencing the first version of the flag from 1777. Reconstructed at Art Basel, "In God We Trust" was first created in 2020, during the presidential election campaign between Donald Trump and Joe Biden. The logs were removed one by one and burned in fireplaces, gradually causing the flag to disappear. The work serves as an allegory of the fragility of US democracy. Go-go dancers Art Basel is above all a commercial event, where artists and galleries come to meet wealthy collectors. But the fair is also very popular with art lovers who come for the simple pleasure of browsing the works on show. Its "Unlimited" section brings together monumental pieces intended for museums and major collections. It includes recent as well as older works, including a performance created in 1991 by Felix Gonzalez-Torres, a US artist from Cuba who died of AIDS in 1996. Called "'Untitled' (Go-Go Dancing Platform)", it features a man dressed in silver shorts dancing on a podium for a few minutes, twice a day. "It's an interesting moment to revisit it," said the "Unlimited" section's curator, Giovanni Carmine, recalling that the artist created the performance shortly after the death of his partner from AIDS, "in a context that was also very reactionary". Gonzalez-Torres responded with "a very political gesture" with a performance that is "a celebration of life". Angels and light The "Unlimited" hall features 67 works, including three angels by German sculptor Thomas Schutte, which foster "a certain ambivalence", said Carmine. With "their wings resembling razors", are they "protective angels or angels of the apocalypse?", he asked. Japanese artist Izumi Kato brings a touch of poetry with his stone structures, painted with enigmatic faces, drawing on the Japanese tradition that each stone contains a spirit. US artist Arlene Shechet plays on contrasts, with a heavy orange abstract sculpture designed to give an impression of lightness despite its weight. "The current political situation is dark and so bringing light and colour and joy and spirit and art is very meaningful," she told AFP. © 2025 AFP
Fashion Network
20 hours ago
- Fashion Network
Balzac Paris, Ecoalf, Graine: Four fashion names debut in Biarritz this summer
Long favored as a holiday destination by fashion and lifestyle brands, Biarritz is once again drawing attention with a wave of fresh openings. The chic seaside town on France's southwestern Basque coast is now home to four newcomers—Balzac Paris, Ecoalf, Graine, and Galeries Lafayette —each offering a unique approach to local retail. Here's a look at the latest additions. Balzac Paris launches a summer pop-up Balzac Paris, the women's fashion label founded in 2014 by Chrysoline de Gastines, her husband Victorien de Gastines, and brother-in-law Charles Fourmaux, continues its regional expansion with a seasonal boutique in Biarritz. Located just steps from the ocean at 54 Avenue Edouard VII, the pop-up is open from mid-June to mid-September. Reflecting its seaside location, the store highlights airy summer pieces—dresses and swimwear being the stars of the assortment. This pop-up aligns with the brand's ongoing regional development strategy, following a late 2024 opening in Toulouse and upcoming debuts planned for Bordeaux, Aix-en-Provence, Marseille, and Lyon. Ecoalf opens a permanent flagship Spanish sustainable fashion brand Ecoalf has officially established itself in Biarritz with a permanent location at 4 Avenue de l'Impératrice, just a short walk from the beach. Founded in 2009 by Javier Goyeneche, the label chose the city for its strong surf culture, showcasing swimwear and casualwear that reflect the coastal spirit. The 110-square-meter space reflects Ecoalf's eco-conscious ethos, featuring net-zero emissions and interiors made of repurposed wood. The store caters to the whole family while advancing the brand's environmental mission. Graine unveils its first standalone store Graine, a young ready-to-wear label founded in 2019 by Chloé Chabaud and her father Christophe, has opened its first physical store at 54 Rue Gambetta—right in the brand's birthplace. Known for collections 'nourished by nature, seasons, and contrast,' Graine produces all its garments in Portugal and brings its vision of mindful fashion to life with this new retail experience. Galeries Lafayette opens a rooftop dining destination Galeries Lafayette's real estate division, Citynove, has unveiled a major renovation project atop its historic Biarritz store, which first opened in 1903. After a year of work, the department store has restored its rooftop terrace and rebuilt a glass canopy reminiscent of the original installed in 1925. Overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, the revamped rooftop is now home to a fine-dining restaurant named Biarritz Bonheur, led by former rugby star Imanol Harinordoquy and chef Jean-Michel Suhubiette. According to the company, the project reflects 'the department store's commitment to preserving heritage while embracing modern experiences.'
Fashion Network
20 hours ago
- Fashion Network
Balzac Paris, Ecoalf, Graine: Four fashion names debut in Biarritz this summer
Long favored as a holiday destination by fashion and lifestyle brands, Biarritz is once again drawing attention with a wave of fresh openings. The chic seaside town on France's southwestern Basque coast is now home to four newcomers—Balzac Paris, Ecoalf, Graine, and Galeries Lafayette —each offering a unique approach to local retail. Here's a look at the latest additions. Balzac Paris launches a summer pop-up Balzac Paris, the women's fashion label founded in 2014 by Chrysoline de Gastines, her husband Victorien de Gastines, and brother-in-law Charles Fourmaux, continues its regional expansion with a seasonal boutique in Biarritz. Located just steps from the ocean at 54 Avenue Edouard VII, the pop-up is open from mid-June to mid-September. Reflecting its seaside location, the store highlights airy summer pieces—dresses and swimwear being the stars of the assortment. This pop-up aligns with the brand's ongoing regional development strategy, following a late 2024 opening in Toulouse and upcoming debuts planned for Bordeaux, Aix-en-Provence, Marseille, and Lyon. Ecoalf opens a permanent flagship Spanish sustainable fashion brand Ecoalf has officially established itself in Biarritz with a permanent location at 4 Avenue de l'Impératrice, just a short walk from the beach. Founded in 2009 by Javier Goyeneche, the label chose the city for its strong surf culture, showcasing swimwear and casualwear that reflect the coastal spirit. The 110-square-meter space reflects Ecoalf's eco-conscious ethos, featuring net-zero emissions and interiors made of repurposed wood. The store caters to the whole family while advancing the brand's environmental mission. Graine unveils its first standalone store Graine, a young ready-to-wear label founded in 2019 by Chloé Chabaud and her father Christophe, has opened its first physical store at 54 Rue Gambetta—right in the brand's birthplace. Known for collections 'nourished by nature, seasons, and contrast,' Graine produces all its garments in Portugal and brings its vision of mindful fashion to life with this new retail experience. Galeries Lafayette opens a rooftop dining destination Galeries Lafayette's real estate division, Citynove, has unveiled a major renovation project atop its historic Biarritz store, which first opened in 1903. After a year of work, the department store has restored its rooftop terrace and rebuilt a glass canopy reminiscent of the original installed in 1925. Overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, the revamped rooftop is now home to a fine-dining restaurant named Biarritz Bonheur, led by former rugby star Imanol Harinordoquy and chef Jean-Michel Suhubiette. According to the company, the project reflects 'the department store's commitment to preserving heritage while embracing modern experiences.'
