Saint Laurent opened a bookstore, the Saint Laurent Babylone in the 7th arrondissement of Paris. The name Babylone is a reference to the historical ties of the co-founders of the French fashion house Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé to the neighborhood of Sèvres-Babylone.

The Saint Laurent Babylone which is not a traditional bookstore aims to become a cultural destination dedicated to art, culture and new ways of expression.

Designed by Saint Laurent’s creative director, Anthony Vaccarello, it offers diverse and global collections of books, art and music and is a new hybrid cultural hub. DJ events, author readings are on the agenda, as is the presentation of rare books and editions, out-of-print recordings and original producers.

Anthony Vaccarello said he wanted the space to be reminiscent of the iconic Saint Laurent Rive Gauche boutique, which opened in 1966 and later expanded to the Sèvres-Babylone neighborhood.

Elegant, marble tables and shelves and walls of raw stone dominate the space that hosts, among other things, rare books placed on a Pierre Jeanneret archival desk, the flipping of which requires gloves.

The store at number 9 rue de Grenelle was until recently dedicated to the French house’s ready-to-wear line and accessories.

The opening coincided with the release of a collection of Saint Laurent Rive Droite albums, published by the brand through its label, SLRD.