Faradays opens: Wayne Brown welcomes Auckland’s new luxury department store
Auckland’s newest department store has officially opened its doors on Queen St, bringing a raft of international fashion and beauty brands to the city centre.
Faradays welcomed the public this afternoon after eager shoppers waited outside the heritage-listed Milne & Choyce building to check out its collection of luxury brands.
Co-founders Eddie and Constance von Dadelszen have spent years developing the store, which brings French fashion houses Maison Margiela and Jacquemus to New Zealand for the first time.
There are more than 220 brands across nine categories, including fashion, beauty and food.
Mayor Wayne Brown was among the first guests at the opening and said he had treated himself to a glass of champagne while his wife browsed the shoe section.
“It fills a bit of a hole that was left just up the road where there used to be that kind of shopping, cafe culture,” he said of the store.
“They’ve thought about this, as where men can go and relax while the wives are doing what they do, which is buy things.”
While Brown said the opening was a “wonderful” experience, he admitted the store was unlikely to be somewhere people would come for everyday shopping.
“It’s aimed for what it’s aimed at, which is high-spending tourists and high-spending local New Zealanders, but it’s done beautifully,” he said.
“Any good successful city has things at every level for every person.”
He said the city was gaining momentum, with many more people in town after the opening of the City Rail Link this month.
“I think Auckland’s feeling more of a buzz than the country is at the moment, which is quite a good thing. I’m very proud of that.”
Among the first shoppers were Bowen and Kate, who work at David Jones and came to see what Faradays had to offer.
They were particularly excited about Maison Margiela, Skims and a range of high-end beauty and fragrance labels.
The pair said the store looked “gorgeous” and had exceeded their expectations after seeing the early renderings.
Hamilton couple Sheila and John travelled to Auckland on the Te Huia train after seeing coverage of the store online.
They thought it would be fun to attend on opening day and, while they had no specific purchases planned, were open to finding something special.
Howard and Aaliyah were also among those waiting to get inside, with Skims among the brands they were most excited to see.
They said the label had previously been difficult to access and having it locally would make it easier to try items on before buying.
The pair said the opening brought a sense of excitement to Auckland and they welcomed the arrival of something new.
They described a lively atmosphere, with music and performers entertaining shoppers as they waited.
Eddie von Dadelszen said he felt “very, very proud” and credited the wider Faradays team with bringing the project together.
Watching the first members of the public enter the store was a “great moment”, he said.
Early signs suggested strong interest from Auckland shoppers and he expected a busy lead-up to Christmas.
He also confirmed the precinct’s Josh Emett-operated restaurant, Lottie’s, is set to open next week.
The decision to stagger the openings was made to avoid overcrowding and ensure diners would not have to contend with launch-day queues.