Under the direction of John Galliano, Dior's designs have favored touches of the loud and flamboyant in recent years, but the iconic brand's New York store is more of an homage to its legacy of prestige. Opened in 1990, the interiors mirror Dior’s headquarters on 30 Avenue Montaigne in Paris, featuring the same gray and white décor, sweeping staircase, crystal chandelier and furniture in the style of Louis XVI.

The origins of the world’s premier maker of fine crystalware date back to 1734, when Louis XV gave Prince Bishop Cardinal Louis-Joseph de Laval-Montmorency permission to found a glassworks in France’s Lorraine region. Since then, Baccarat has been the premier purveyor of glassware to the world's royals. Given the preciousness of their goods, it's outstanding that the showroom actually invites visitors to touch the shimmering menagerie of vases, goblets and champagne flutes, with attendants pointing out the subtle differences in surface textures.

Four stories of beautifully illuminated blue and orange walls remind shoppers that Louis Vuitton is about more than the sturdy, high end luggage that made the brand famous among ocean liner-setting Europeans. These days, the most valuable luxury brand in the world does it all: men's and women's casual and formal, jewelry and accessories, watches, handbags, you name it.

Between 1920, when he began working in Hollywood, and his death in 1960, Salvatore Ferragamo designed over 10,000 pairs of shoes. Fortunately, the Ferragamo brand has maintained the master's level of commitment to detail and fresh design, and in the two-story wood and glass flagship store you'll find thousands of dresses in sophisticated color palettes, totes and handbags, and, of course, more shoes than you could ever hope to try on in one visit.

Henri Bendel made his department store a go-to destination for Astors, Vanderbilts and Rockefellers by showcasing talented young designers. He was the first to bring Chanel to the United States, and also staged New York’s first fashion show. Today, the luxury department store follows in its founders footsteps, importing up-and-coming Europeans in droves. The second floor hosts an enormous selection of domestic and imported perfumes, and Frederic Fekkai's world class salon caters to A-listers on the top level.

The Italian company built its empire on unique, often eccentric, but always gorgeous gold and silver pieces laced with colorful gems. The flagship store is less striking than the products it holds, a sleek but no-frills bright cavernous space that lets the jewelry do the talking.

Cartier not only perfected the wristwatch, they invented it. The French company solidified its reputation as the finest distributor of ultimate luxury items when it sold the legendary blue Hope Diamond to a New York socialite. That level of bygone elegance lives on at the Cartier store, located on Cartier Way, where in addition to signature steel and diamond watches, you can peruse a glimmering collection of Cartier's heralded diamond tennis bracelets and cuff links.

Harry Winston got his start in the diamond business shortly after arriving destitute in New York from Ukraine, when he spotted a valuable stone in a pawn shop, bought it for a quarter, and resold it for $800. Since then, Harry Winston has been associated with rare gems cut to suit the prevailing style of the day. The cheapest ring here will set you back $2,600, but well worth it for those who can afford.