Westfield Valley Fair’s $1.1 billion expansion brings a new name to the mall.
A view of a beauty counter at the new Bloomingdale’s at Westfield Valley Fair mall
As shopping malls nationwide fall to online retail, Westfield Valley Fair’s $1.1 billion in renovations are keeping the mall vital with a new dining terrace, ShowPlace ICON cinema and refinements to its luxury wing (with Saint Laurent, Prada and more). Also in the works: an outdoor dining district and,
this month, the opening of a three-level Bloomingdale’s.
In the changing landscape of Silicon Valley, old-school tech industries that once dominated have been joined by social media startups whose workers have sky-high incomes and taste levels. U.S. Census data shows a median age of 37 and a median household income of $117,000, nearly 20% more than a decade ago, while the population has grown nearly 10%, to slightly more than 1 million in the same time period.
The new, 150,000-square-foot Bloomingdale’s is the first South Bay foray for the company (its Stanford Shopping Center store opened in 2014). The Valley Fair store will feature the brand’s iconic black-and-white checkerboard flooring, social seating areas, Style Studio stylists and beauty stylists, a culinary kitchen with demonstrations, on-site clothing alterations and more. Luxury labels are a big focus of the mix.
Erica Russo, vice president and fashion director for accessories and beauty at Bloomingdale’s, predicts that square-toed women’s shoes will be in demand this spring. “The fashion-engaged customer,” she advises, “can find the hottest square-toe heels from Gucci.” Architectural handbags are giving way to the shoulder and hobo bag, she notes, like those offered by Salvatore Ferragamo, another line the store will carry. Bloomingdale’s has not previously carried Valentino handbags; the Valley Fair store will, she says. And the new store’s beauty counters (bright and expansive) will feature high-end skincare such as La Mer, CREED and Givenchy Beauty, as well as curated concept shops like Wellchemist and Glowhaus, with spa treatment rooms for shoppers in the mood for extra pampering.
Erica Russo, a Bloomingdale’s executive, says luxury brands will be an important part of the mix at the new Valley Fair store.
Givenchy Prisme Libre finishing and setting powder, $58
Gucci Tiger square-toe slide sandals, $980
Photography by: Rendering of store beauty counter courtesy of CRTKL; all other photos courtesy of Bloomingdale’s
