The long awaited Ailes de la Mode complex has finally opened in the former Eaton’s building on rue Ste. Catherine in Montreal. The complex, which I wrote about in back in June promises not only one-stop shopping for all things unnecessary and overpriced, but a new landmark in the world of consumerism.
I must confess that the complex–which is a bit more than a department store but a bit less than a mall–is impressive. I stopped in for a visit on Friday afternoon.
When you enter from rue Ste. Catherine you feel like you’ve walked into one of those artist’s renderings of an architectural design. On the ground level you follow a grand promenade, all glass and metal, where there are a number of shops such as Archambault Music and an upscale SAQ–most not yet open. Then the space opens up into a large arena-like atrium that that looks like a set from The Fifth Element. A large egg-shaped pod glows at the top. There are glassy and metallic escalators everywhere, and curved walkways on every level. It’s a bit like the Guggenheim museum in New York, but much bigger and busier.
As you ascend the escalators you encounter all manner of shopping. For the most part, once you step away from the stairs and elevators and escalators, and away from the curved walkways with their suicidal views, you could be in any big department store anywhere. There are stacks of sweaters and pants and shoes, inoffensively-colored walls, carpeted floors underneath, clerks, and of course, price tags.
Design- and marketing-wise, this place is all about entrance. Getting in there is such an impressive experience that you feel the store deserves your hard-earned dollars. To ensure you don’t need to retreat for any sort of refreshment, there are coffee, water, and sushi bars placed here and there, but always near the centerpiece, that huge egg-shaped pod suspended above the atrium in the center of the complex. Near the top, I happened upon the karaoke theatre, where I saw a small 100-or-so seat cinema with the words to “My Heart Will Go On” bobbing by on the screen. In the aisle a traumatized employee with a mike was whimpering the lyrics while trying unsuccessfully to get the audience–primarily blue-haired pensioners on the “free entertainment” circuit–to sing along.
Horrified, I fled in search of the mythical vodka bar, but couldn’t find it. I did, however, find a decent art show on the very top floor which is a gallery space only (no retail) with work on loan from the galleries in the nearby Belgo building. Recuperated somewhat, I returned to the fray to negotiate the escalators back to the bottom. I explored a bit more on the way down, and found a small but elegant split stairway that went between two floors. It looked like something you’d find on a cruise ship. I finally hit street level and left, without having spent a dime.
Ultimately, it’s just a store, or a mall, or something in between. The prices are high, to pay for all that architecture and glass, but a lot of the merchandise is, of course, premium, so you expect high prices anyway. The other notable thing is that this is not the kind of place you dart into while double-parked expecting to quickly grab an item and get out. Plan on spending two or three or more hours at a time–most of which will be spent going between floors trying to find the thing you’re looking for. Along the way, of course, you can check out the Volkswagens on display near the men’s wear, nibble some sushi at the Soto sushi bar, and rejuvenate with an espresso at one of several coffee bars. Just stay away from the damn karaoke theatre.
Many people will complain about this place, calling it a den of conspicuous consumption and all that. Others will love it and plan their weekends around it. It appears that the owners of Les Ailes de la Mode want it to stand with the Big Stores as some kind of–cough–world class shopping complex, like the Galleries Lafayette in Paris, Macy’s in NYC, or GUM in Moscow. At least that appears to be their hope. I say it comes close because it doesn’t quite nail it. Primarily because it is new, and thus has no history, unlike those other places. But also because it’s a store that is not quite sure what it is or wants to be. As I said, when you’re in the main merchandise areas, you could be in any department store anywhere. There are no special architectural or other elements to take it out of the ordinary. And when you’re in the architecturally notable areas–the atrium–you don’t really feel like you’re in a department store.
That dissonance is what will keep the place from being truly memorable. Which is not to say it’s forgetable. Not at all. It’s the kind of place that if you saw it in London or Madrid or Kuala Lumpur you’d think “why don’t they build interesting places like this back home?” But when they do, we have to live with the place over time, after the glitter of the first impression wears off. Then we complain that it’s not good enough and the prices are too high.
Vive la shopping. If you do need to go shopping downtown this week, it’s worth a look, but I suspect you’ll do better at The Bay or Simon’s, because those stores will likely have big sales on to try to lure people away from the seduction of Les Ailes. Or of course, you can always go to Schreter.