Galeries Lafayette Haussmann Dome by wikimedia commons
In an era of luxury, two cousins opened a small fashion boutique in the heart of Paris. As clothing and novelty gifts flew off the shelves, the cousins expanded their business, buying the whole building just three years later and then four more buildings in the first ten years of operation. The storefront wasn’t the only thing that grew; merchandise stretched to include household goods, such as furniture, fabric, toys, tableware, pottery, and ready-to-wear apparel. As popularity soared, so did the brand, which expanded to more than a dozen locations around the globe and reports an annual revenue above one billion euro.
Through the years, Galeries Lafayette has kept its focus on high fashion. A grand fashion show at the store’s “Galerie des Galeries” is put on a few times a year. The store also hosts a weekly fashion show every Friday at 3pm. Reservations must be placed in advance to attend the Friday event. During the holiday season, Galeries Lafayette in Paris hosts a Suspended Christmas Tree. The first one was done in 1976, when the Christmas Tree was hung from the store’s giant central dome.