The Facts
On September 9, 2026, Thaddaeus Ropac gallery announced that American artist Tom Sachs has unveiled a homemade and unauthorized Chanel flagship in New York's Chinatown. Located on Centre Street, the project reimagines Chanel's historic 31 Rue Cambon boutique in Paris, with the street now dubbed "Little Paris" by a nearby sign. The installation continues Sachs's practice of world-building through handcrafted sculptures made from everyday materials like plywood, cardboard, foam core, duct tape, and hot glue, following his multi-year NASA project Space Program (2007-present) and earlier Nutsy's (2003-2005), which linked Le Corbusier's modernism with McDonald's commercialism.
The Signal
This project signals Sachs's ongoing interrogation of brand mythology and material value, using bricolage to critique luxury consumerism. For collectors and curators, it reinforces his position as a postmodern provocateur who transforms corporate symbols into handmade, critical objects. The unauthorized nature of the Chanel flagship adds a layer of institutional tension, potentially increasing interest in Sachs's work among those tracking art's engagement with commerce and intellectual property. The installation's Chinatown location also highlights a trend of artists appropriating high-fashion iconography in unexpected urban contexts.
- Artists: Tom Sachs
- People: Tom Sachs
- Galleries: Thaddaeus Ropac
- Locations: New York
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