An essential round-up of which luxury companies are expanding their empires where and why
Boutiques
Stephen Webster, the British jewellery designer, is due to open his US flagship store on Beverly Hills’ gold-plated Rodeo Drive. Underlining the importance of the opening to his brand, which is already a favourite among rock stars and celebrities, Webster said: “This project is very exciting to me and my team who feel that the Stephen Webster brand is shifting to become an all encompassing lifestyle experience”.
Chopard have opened another boutique in Singapore in the swanky Marina Bay shopping district.
Bloomingdale’s is opening a large 80 000 square feet store in Santa Monica, CA., between the iconic Third Street Promenade and Santa Monica pier.
Bulgari have opened a boutique in one of Shanghai’s plushest malls – the Shanghai IFC. It is marketed as a “twin boutique” to the flagship store in Plaza 66, and is the brand’s largest yet in East China. The move shows how despite recent suggestions that theatre retail is not necessarily the way forward in China, big brands are still pouring investment into physical stores.
Cerruti, a brand famous for its men’s tailoring, has relaunched its Paris flagship as a multi-brand boutique with a nature-inspired interior designed by CBA Christian Biecher & Associés, and featuring a range of products to excite even the most seasoned shopper, including Philip Treacy hats, Frédéric Malle home fragrances, Causse gloves and Pinel & Pinel trunks- all under one roof. “Cerruti is changing,” said chief executive officer Florent Perrichon. “We want to share with our customers brands that possess a unique know-how and whose products are coherent with ours.” Plans are also underway to revive the made-to-measure tailoring that made the brand so popular.
Lanvin has opened an impeccably stylish new store on Madison Avenue – the company’s first in New York. Testament to the devotion that New York fashionistas have for the brand’s designer Albert Elbaz was the fact that shoppers were willing to browse without air conditioning and by candlelight, before the store was had been completely fitted.
Both Hermes and Louis Vuitton are opening in the once troubled but now increasingly popular destination city of Beirut, helping to put Lebanon back on the map for luxury shoppers who had abandoned it for Dubai and Kuwait during the latest conflict.
Monocle – the magazine turned retail venture, are opening their fourth concept store in the Wanchai district of Hong Kong, selling the magazine alongside a carefully curated range of products from designers which share the crisp, gentlemanly aesthetic of the publication, such as Comme des Garcons and Porter. At the same time the brand are opening a new Hong Kong bureau which is intended to be funded by the store and will keep the brand and magazine accurately attuned to what is happening in China.
American fashion and beauty company Anna Sui has opened its first store in Guangzhou, adding to her modest Chinese retail network across six cities in the country, including Beijing, Chongqing, Shanghai and Hangzhou. Her cosmetics in particular show a real understanding of the Chinese market and have proved a great success.
