Maison Margiela’s Luxe Café & Store Debuts in Dubai

I recently visited the ultra-Instagrammable café, a true coveted coffee spot in the Middle East, opened this week inside a luxury retail space at Mall of the Emirates, UAE. Set adjacent to the brand new flagship store, it blends Maison Margiela, a luxury French brand, into café culture, marking its third country café concept after South Korea and China in the world of fashion cafés.

The terrace café feels intimate yet bold, with a curated selection of hot drinks and cold drinks, all served on a tabi-shaped coaster. I tried the variety of desserts, especially the tabi-shaped cake with pistachio and cardamom, while shoppers enjoyed baked goods, croissants, cinnamon rolls, raspberry, and custard swirls.

Design That Feels Like Margiela

Inside the new store and café, every element feels thought-out, staying true to brand identity with Margiela bottle lamps, logo-printed cutlery, and a signature cool aesthetic. Designed by Dutch architecture studio Anne Holtrop, known for boutiques in Paris, London, Osaka, and Shanghai, the interior features plush couches, sleek wood veneers, and the iconic Margiela tire installation, creating a unique shopping experience.

The store also showcases a soft, tonal color scheme with mirrors, reflecting the Parisian label’s iconic all-white studio feel. A natural aesthetic comes through plaster walls, ceilings, original finish, complemented by travertine floors, fixtures, and a facade imprinted with footprints inspired by the brand’s iconic Tabi shoes.

Fashion, Space, and the Region

Spanning 265 square meters, the new flagship showcases the brand’s latest co-ed Fall 2025 collection, including men’s, women’s, ready-to-wear, handbags, the limited-edition Snatched bag, small leather goods in Thyme color, conceived exclusively for the opening, plus shoes, accessories, and the iconic fragrance line.

As the Middle East proves an exciting market, Maison Margiela continues to expand presence in the region, which already boasts flagship Dubai Mall, making this café-led flagship a smart and sensory evolution of the brand.