Sophie’s at Saks Fifth Avenue is inspired by Sophie Gimbel, the fashion designer who defined style at Saks for over 40 years. Sophie creatively combined innovative materials, daring construction and discreet ornamentation to achieve timeless elegance in her designs. We embrace her aesthetic sensibility, refined sense of material and elegantly hand-crafted details to create a sophisticated 100 seat, 2,500-square-foot eatery with sweeping panoramic views of Chicago’s Magnificent Mile.
With a bar abutting the seventh floor Men’s Store, and a linen-clad open kitchen visible from across the store, we prominently integrate the restaurant within a fashion forward retail experience. Against the background of Saks’ signature branded palette in graphic black and white, we juxtapose contemporary cutting-edge materials whose surface textures are animated by movement and illumination -- including a wall of digitally-engineered optical crystal panels, custom millwork with shimmering metal inserts, and recycled cast glass slabs. Sumptuous appointments of vintage velvet upholstered walls, white silk and gold leaf lighting, and a chandelier originally commissioned by Nadja Swarovski are accented by a suite of custom furniture designed specifically for the project and photographs of Sophie’s most iconic creations.
Sophie’s distinctive couture of flowing forms, rich patterning and nuanced textures translates into a delightful dining environment that captures an intangible essence of style. Sophie’s at Saks Fifth Avenue achieves an elegantly-nuanced fusion of fashion, cuisine and design that celebrates an iconic designer’s vision and brings it firmly into the 21st Century.
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