Bulgari’s London boutique has reopened following an extensive redesign in which celebrated American architect Peter Marino drew on Roman themes to epitomise the spirit of the luxury Italian brand.

The renovated store on New Bond Street was unveiled at a red carpet gala last week which was attended by celebrities and VIPs including Carla Bruni, Luke Evans, Princess Lilly Zu Sayn Wittgenstein Berleburg, Carmen Giannattasio, Camilla Rutherford, David Furnish, Sai Bennett, Sam Rollinson, Sienna Guillory, Tiphaine de Lussy, Toby Huntington-Whiteley, Ella Catliff and David Jarre.

Special guest and Bulgari ambassador Carla Bruni shone in exquisite high jewellery, wearing a 14-carat Columbian emerald necklace and matching 43-carat emerald ring, which were complemented by an iconic Serpenti diamond high jewellery bracelet.

Also a Bulgari ambassador, Princess Lilly wore high jewellery from the Giardini Italiani collection, whilst Evans, another Bulgari ambassador, sported an exquisite Octo watch.

The Italian glamour-inspired soiree began with red-carpet arrivals treated to illuminated projections of Roman icons on the storefront. Guests were treated to performances by Italian opera star soprano Carmen Giannattasio who sang Giacomo Puccini’s “O Mio Babbino Caro” accompanied by Angelo Villani on piano, a magic show by the talented David Jarre, Italian-inspired canapés and cocktail creations created by the Bulgari Hotel, London’s head bartender Tomasz Staron, and music by DJ Hen Yanni.

In the renovated boutique, Marino’s masterful creation has incorporated Roman marble-inspired designs onto the high-profile shopping locale, to interplay between old and new, between ancient tradition and contemporary design. The celebrated architect had been entrusted with London boutique’s transformation on the heels of the Roman flagship he completed in 2014, for Bulgari’s 130th anniversary.

Bulgari CEO Jean-Christophe Babin comments: “Peter Marino’s masterful creation has incorporated Roman marble-inspired designs onto this high-profile shopping locale. His unparalleled understanding of Bulgari, how to interplay between old and new, between ancient tradition and contemporary design make this new London destination a true masterpiece.”

Bulgari says it had once again challenged the architect with a listed historical building but Marino delivered a masterpiece of a redesign that “resounds with the soul of Rome”.

Drawing on Bulgari’s Mediterranean origins, Marino’s renovation emphasised Italian classicism while interpreting it within regal English architecture. With touches such as the iconic Condotti eight-pointed star in marble on the entryway, he echoed the history of the Pantheon in Rome while mirroring the legendary spirit of the brand. Marino’s genius was to create a reproduction of the historical entrance of the Roman flagship store from the 1930s, to symbolically move the iconic door of the Via dei Condotti store to London.

Part of the LVMH Group, Bulgari was founded in Rome in 1884 as a jewellery shop and quickly established a reputation for Italian excellence with exquisite craftsmanship and magnificent jewellery creations. The company’s international success has evolved into a global and diversified luxury purveyor of products and services ranging from fine jewels and watches to accessories and perfumes, with an unrivalled network of boutiques and hotels in the world’s most exclusive shopping areas.