Also known as the “Grand Dame of St-Catherine Street,” La Maison Ogilvy has been deeply rooted in tradition since its founding in 1866. The downtown landmark culturally anchors the city, providing a piece of history in contrast to its modernized milieu. The distinguished department store houses a series of boutiques including Burberry, Christofle, Hugo Boss and Louis Vuitton. For over a century, Ogilvy’s has certainly been a shopping haven, offering the best in luxury goods and catering to the refined palate.
Despite its ageless Romanesque façade, the interior décor has nonetheless been tastefully renewed. The last couple of years have marked an aesthetic reformation for the iconic building, most notably due to a change in artistic direction. As Vice President of Marketing and Artistic Director for the Ogilvy image, Steeve Lapierre has certainly posited his creative imprint. Rather than to concede to the building’s archaic charm, Steeve has stood fast from an inclination towards forms of conservative design. Clearly an enthusiast for the bold and the beautiful, all creations executed under his direction are in grandiose style. Although the interior design of the department store has taken a turn towards the modern, certain traditions have conversely subsisted.
As a ritual that dates all the way back to the 1950s, the Ogilvy Piper Tradition is still going strong. Once a day, everyday, around noon, a bagpiper parades around all floors, making his rounds. In addition to the daily bagpipe concert, the mechanical Christmas windows are also a seasonal favourite. More than 100 moveable handmade figurines cover the entire corner window of St. Catherine and de la Montagne streets, attracting crowds by the masses and inevitably spawning a heavy sense of nostalgia.
Amongst the many changes the retail icon has undertaken, last week marked an inaugural introduction to its first all-contemporary section. The new “Urban Lifestyle” space located at the lower level boasts an ideal sense of refreshment. For the first time ever, La Maison Ogilvy has created a stylish urban setting, welcoming trendy brands such as Canada Goose, Marc by Marc Jacobs, Vince, 7 For All Mankind and many more. In contrast to the rest of the posh four floors, the new space features an edgier and funkier approach, new to Ogilvy’s long-standing, but ever-changing DNA.
Photo courtesy La Maison Ogilvy