Chanel is expanding its retail presence in Southern California with the opening of a new 16,000-square-foot boutique at Westfield University Town Center in San Diego. Designed by longtime collaborator Peter Marino, the freestanding, two-story store brings together the French luxury house’s fashion, watches, fine jewelry, fragrance, and beauty collections in a setting inspired by the region’s architecture and coastal landscape.
The boutique marks Chanel’s fifth freestanding location in California, joining existing stores in Beverly Hills, South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa, San Francisco, and Palo Alto. The brand also operates a seasonal boutique in Montecito.
California Architecture Meets Chanel Heritage
Marino drew inspiration from Southern California’s distinctive relationship between architecture and nature, particularly the Case Study Houses, a postwar architectural initiative that explored modern residential design.
The boutique features a white stucco exterior, expansive glass panels, and sliding doors that connect its interiors to the surrounding landscape. At the centre of the building is an open courtyard, around which the store’s rooms and circulation routes are arranged.
“The courtyard is the heart of the building,” Marino said, describing how the space provides a visual anchor throughout the boutique. Natural light, long sight lines, and the ability to open the interiors directly onto the outdoors give the store a distinctly Californian character.
While the architecture responds to San Diego’s environment, the interiors reference the world of Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel, particularly her legendary apartment at 31 rue Cambon in Paris.
A commissioned portrait of Coco Chanel by Norbert Brunner welcomes visitors near the entrance. The courtyard features an 18th-century lion sculpture, referencing Chanel’s astrological sign and one of her personal symbols. In the VIP salon, a monumental photograph by Vera Lutter depicts San Marco in Venice, a city the designer admired.
A Residential Approach to Luxury Retail
Inside, the boutique combines Chanel’s familiar black, white, and beige palette with blue and turquoise shades inspired by San Diego’s coastal surroundings. Wave motifs, hand-embroidered textiles, and custom plaster finishes introduce additional texture and subtle references to the sea.
The ground floor is organised into dedicated spaces for the house’s different product categories. Two adjoining salons near the entrance showcase leather goods and accessories, while the fragrance and beauty salon occupies the opposite end of the floor. The watches and fine jewelry area features Louis XV furnishings and a Goossens Madison chandelier, creating the atmosphere of an elegant Parisian residence.
Two ready-to-wear salons occupy a rear corner, with furniture and decorative accents designed or selected by Marino. One features a striking gold vase, while another is furnished with a commode distinguished by its dark, cast-bronze texture. The shoe salon includes sculptural chairs by Voukenas Petrides, while Venini vases appear throughout the ground floor.
Upstairs, a VIP lounge opens onto a wraparound terrace overlooking the courtyard. An elevator lobby furnished with a bronze console by Audiane Delos leads into the private space, which features Marino’s five-door Deep Water bronze box and a sculptural bronze choirboy by Aaron Moritz.
Art is an integral part of the design. Alongside works by Norbert Brunner and Vera Lutter, the boutique displays pieces by Vic Muniz, Chris Succo, Peter Dayton, Kimiko Fujimura, Shoji Takahara, Anthony Pearson, Scott Pattison, and Setsuko.
Fashion, Fine Jewelry, and Beauty Under One Roof
The boutique opens with Chanel’s Fall 2026 collection by Matthieu Blazy, alongside a broad selection of watches, fine jewelry, fragrance, makeup, and skincare.
The jewelry assortment includes creations from the house’s high jewelry offering and established collections such as Coco Crush, No. 5, Camélia, and Comète. Watch selections include the J12 and Première.
According to Rebekah McCabe, Chanel’s general manager of fashion for the U.S. market, the expansion reflects the brand’s confidence in San Diego’s growing luxury market. She pointed to the city’s affluent local clientele, international connections, cross-border community, and tourism as factors contributing to its appeal.
The boutique has been developed with local customers in mind, following Chanel’s “One Boutique-One Story” approach, which adapts each store’s assortment and client experience to its particular market.
McCabe said Marino’s design successfully expresses the house’s identity while establishing a strong connection to San Diego. The standalone format also allows the brand to provide more personalised styling, hospitality, and service.
Building a Stronger Local Presence
Chanel plans to continue exploring cultural partnerships and client-focused events in San Diego, reflecting its wider approach to engaging with the communities in which it operates.
The company sees California as a market that benefits from distinct retail experiences tailored to individual cities, rather than a uniform approach across the state. The new San Diego boutique is intended to give customers greater access to the full range of Chanel products and services in a more expansive setting.
With its combination of contemporary architecture, curated artwork, and residential-inspired interiors, the new store presents a local interpretation of Chanel’s established design codes. It also reinforces the luxury house’s commitment to creating individualised retail environments that reflect both its heritage and the character of each destination.
