Aigle reinvents its Paris flagship in Saint-Germain-des-Prés

Aigle has unveiled its new flagship concept. On October 16, the French brand, part of MF Brands Group, inaugurated the new iteration of its historic Paris store. The address at 139 Boulevard Saint-Germain has been transformed. Spread over 250 square metres across two levels, the brand, founded in 1853, presents a new architectural concept called “Cocoon”, conceived as an immersion in its world, blending authenticity, technical prowess, and responsible commitment. The proposition is aligned with the brand’s reaffirmation, undertaken by management since 2022.

Conceived almost a year ago by Céline Saenz, the brand’s Head of Architecture, the project required over two months of work to deliver a new interpretation of the premises the brand has occupied since 1989.

The new design, intended for the brand’s flagships, gives pride of place to raw materials and light tones. Polished concrete, oak, travertine, and textured paint compose a minimalist backdrop where natural light takes centre stage.

The space is deliberately pared back and aims to neutralise the setting to better showcase the product. “We wanted to create a timeless, sincere setting, where nature, materials and light place the customer at the heart of our universe,” said Valérie Dassier, Aigle’s managing director.

The merchandising approach organises products around a triptych of style, nature, and function, echoed by the visuals highlighted in the store. The product range is structured by theme, and the window displays take an educational approach: one stages the brand’s urban and outdoor lifestyle; the other reveals the accessories’ technical details and materials, particularly highlighting its commitment to using responsible materials. The brand is currently spotlighting its brand-new range for dogs.

Right from the entrance, the tone is set with the Aigle Saint-Germain-des-Prés café on the left. This welcoming counter also offers branded mugs and water bottles, with the aim of extending the brand experience by drawing on the neighbourhood’s literary references with a reading area. This flagship has been designed as a living space and activation hub, created to convey Aigle’s messaging around its collections and commitments.

An immersive journey through heritage, style and innovation

At the centre of the store stands the Rubber Forest, also known as La Cathédrale, the poetic heart of the concept. Inspired by the rubber tree plantations that are the source of natural rubber, this openwork dome in pale wood showcases elements from its manufacturing facility in Ingrandes-sur-Vienne, notably with a large photograph of the factory interior.

The display incorporates a module that showcases the soles of the boots, as in the wall visual, underscoring the technicality and precision of Aigle’s craftsmanship. The range of technical and urban boots and shoes is presented around the dome, as well as on a central round table. An immersive virtual tour, accessible by scanning a QR code, extends this behind-the-scenes look at production.

“This is the first major element of the concept,” said Valérie Dassier. “The Rubber Forest brings highly poetic elements and also casts our manufacture in a very positive light. It’s important to bring the expertise of our master bootmakers to the customer, because we are very proud of it.” 

Around this area, the brand highlights its sea collection as well as its selection of T-Kit products, enabling customers to build their own 2-in-1 jacket.

The route continues to the Earth for Tomorrow zone, which showcases the house’s CSR approach; the company has been a mission-led enterprise since 2020. Here, its commitments are highlighted, along with the repairability service developed with Green Wolf, an I:CO recycling station for the Second Souffle programme, and products illustrating sustainable innovation, such as a parka made from upcycled fishing nets.

Nearby, the modular events area, identifiable by its “sound shower”, reflects Aigle’s ambition to make its flagships vibrant experiential spaces. The musical creations broadcast during launches or collaborations are designed to draw customers into the space and punctuate the visit, enriching the sensory experience.

A redesigned monumental staircase, with an illuminated handrail emphasising its curves, leads upstairs. Its raw texture brings a rugged edge to the journey and sets up the discovery of a space that is both more intimate and more stylised.

Upstairs, the womenswear collection, the new luggage line and the Études Studio capsule, stylistically sharper yet faithful to Aigle’s technical DNA, are on display.

The fitting rooms, where photographs of customers celebrate the Aigle community, are bathed in natural light filtered through a stained-glass window, evoking Parisian elegance. Alcoves spotlight emblematic models, from the Macadam boot to the Fulfeel urban ankle boot.

This flagship opened on September 30, at the same time as its Hong Kong counterpart at Ocean Terminal. The concept is also set to open in Shanghai shortly, but is not intended to be rolled out across the brand’s roughly 60 stores in France or its 285 in Asia (mainly China).

“We have another store concept, still fairly recent, which is working well. For example, at Capucines we have a Rubber Forest, but it’s more discreet. Our flagship concept is intended for openings in Europe or in new Asian countries,” explains the managing director. “We chose Saint-Germain because it’s our historic store, the largest and the one with the highest turnover. We needed to embody our commitment to transforming the brand, which we initiated three years ago.”

Founded in 1853 by Hiram Hutchinson, Aigle perpetuates its French boot-making know-how while developing a comprehensive universe of outdoor clothing and accessories. A subsidiary of MF Brands Group, the company operates in around twenty markets, mainly France and China, and recorded turnover of €274 million in 2024, split between Europe and Asia.