Chanel opens big, light-filled boutique in San Diego
Chanel, the French luxury house, has opened a 16,000-square-foot boutique in San Diego. Women's Wear Daily
The shop is freestanding, meaning a separate building rather than a counter inside a department store. It sits inside Westfield University Town Center, an open-air shopping centre in the La Jolla area. Chanel lists the address as 4487 La Jolla Village Drive, San Diego, with an opening date of 8 October 2026. Chanel
It is a two-storey building. Rooms circle around a central courtyard. Large expanses of glass and sliding doors blur the line between inside and outside.
The design is by Peter Marino, a longtime Chanel collaborator. The outside pairs white stucco with clear glass. The entrance holds a commissioned portrait of Coco Chanel, the house founder, by artist Norbert Brunner.
Inside, the courtyard holds an 18th-century lion. It is a nod to Gabrielle Chanel's star sign, Leo. The VIP salon holds a photograph of San Marco in Venice by artist Vera Lutter.
The boutique brings fashion, watches and jewellery, and fragrance and beauty together under one roof. That makes it a one-stop shop for the house's main product lines.
It is Chanel's fifth freestanding boutique in California. The others are in Beverly Hills, South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa, San Francisco and Palo Alto, plus a seasonal boutique in Montecito.
The new neighbours are high-end names too. They include Hermès, Bulgari, Zegna and Brunello Cucinelli.
What makes this stand out is the setting. San Diego is not New York, Los Angeles or Paris. A 16,000-square-foot, art-filled building suggests Chanel sees shoppers there too.
