The world of Louis Vuitton got a bit more luxurious when it opened its Maison flagship store in Rome, Italy this past Friday. According to Women’s Wear Daily, the luxury brand has turned Etolie, Rome’s very first cinema, into its new flagship store. 

Louis Vuitton Store. Image found on twitpic

Interior designer Peter Marino recreated a Baroque style interior at the store by placing an emphasis on the main, grand staircase which resembles the strip of a film. As an added touch, Marino designed desks that look like travel trunks, covered in a goat hide patchwork as well as tables made with python skin.

Along with standard features in a Maison type of flagship for Louis Vuitton, such as a Bag Bar, Trunk Room, and the high end leather goods Haute Maroquinerie, the store includes many exceptional features. Theses features include a unique 19-seat cinema, which will screen short movies by famed directors and a display of the entire collection of trunks and luggage made for Wes Andersen’s move The Darjeeling Limited.  

Many celebrities came to celebrate the store's grand opening on Friday. Actresses Cate Blanchett and Catherine Deneuve were among the many who braved the crowds. Louis Vuitton held a party later that evening at the city’s former Geological Institute. Party goers danced and sang iconic Italian cabaret songs, followed by a concert with Jimmy Somerville. 

Reach reporter Audrey here. Follow her on twitter.