luxury shopping

Agent Provocateur to Open in Beverly Hills

Luxe British lingerie brand Agent Provocateur is opening a new boutique on Beverly Hills' famed Rodeo Drive this spring. The new location will be considered a West Coast flagship store for the company, known for steamy ads featuring the likes of Kate Moss, Helena Christensen and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, the Beverly Hills Courier reports. The upmarket label, which saw profits soar 45 percent in the past quarter, plans to expand its lineup to include sunglasses, cosmetics and bedding. The London-headquartered chain also plans on growing online sales and opening up a flagship East Coast store in New York next month. It currently has 51 stores in the U.K., Europe, Russia, South Korea, Hong Kong, the Middle East and the U.S., with plans for branches in Russia and Japan in the works as well.

Tags: Agent Provocateur, Beverly Hills, boutiques, Helena Christensen, Kate Moss, lingerie, London, luxury shopping, Rodeo Drive, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, UK

Miu Miu Opens Venice Store

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Shopping

Last month, Miu Miu, the more playful side of the Prada empire, opened a new store in Venice, Italy. The store is in Venice's Salizada San Moise area and sell ready-to-wear clothing, bags and accessories. Architect Roberto Baciocchi created a space with a glass display window facing the street and combined modern elements with the original features of the palazzo. The same inlaid floor joins the three separate spaces for different wares. In the ready-to-wear area shown above the original wood, stucco and plaster ceiling has been kept and restored. Two more images of the store are after the jump.

Tags: italy, luxury shopping, Miu Miu, Venice, ventas

Continue reading “Miu Miu Opens Venice Store”

Spending Returns to the Luxury Market or Please Pass the Ferragamos

by Ann Brenoff (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wealth, Luxury Shopping

Wearing the same pair of Manolo's may have been fine for 2009, but frugality and self-denial has simply grown tiresome for the wealthiest Americans and the nouveau riche Chinese. Global sales of luxury items are beating expectations, according to the results of a new study.

People, this is seriously good news! While the fact that people were shopping at the 99-Cent Store did little to kick the recession to the sidelines, economists have been saying right along that what was needed was a return of consumer confidence and for consumption to begin in earnest. While we're holding our collective breathes for jobs to be created so we can actually start spending again, relief came from an unsuspected corner: The rich, it seems, have grown bored with their wardrobes. Being seen twice in the same dress was just so 2009!

The study by Bain & Co. has forecast that sales of designer clothes, leather goods, watches, jewelry and other indulgences would surge 10 percent in 2010, recovering from a sit-on-your-Dolce-&-Gabbana-wallet 8 percent decline in 2009. The study was commissioned by Italy's Fondazione Altagamma association of high-end producers.

Sales in the U.S. market grew up 12 percent. Asia saw a 22 percent growth in high-end spending and European shoppers spent 6 percent more. Leather goods, which held steady despite the 2009 dramatic decline, is predicted to grow by 16 percent in 2010.

Of course the holiday season will be the litmus test. And even Bain is hedging its bets a bit, saying growth could range from 9 percent to about 11 percent, depending on shopper turnout.

The real story though may be coming from Asia, where the Chinese are powering luxury sales to the point where they grew a whopping 30 percent. Chinese tourists have begun traveling the world and spending as they go.

Some other encouraging factoids: larger brands are faring better than smaller ones -- perhaps because they had the resources to weather the recession. And menswear is growing faster than womenswear -- for which there is simply no explanation known to (wo)mankind.

Tags: luxury shopping, luxury spending, luxury trends

Harrod's to Open Luxury Hotel on Its Rooftop?

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Luxury Shopping

Back in July we reported that following its $2.2 billion acquisition by Qatar's royal family in May, luxe department store Harrods has some heady expansion plans in the works. In addition to a new Shanghai branch the famed retail mecca is considering opening a luxury hotel on the rooftop of its landmarked London flagship (above) in Knightsbridge. Harrods managing director Michael Ward says the hotel scheme is one of a number of options being considered to maximize the brand's potential. "Are we looking at it? Yes. Have we considered it? Yes. Is it something we would do? No plans have been put forward but it is one of them," he tells Vogue UK. "There are a number of ideas of equal magnitude." If plans do go ahead, the hotel could mean Harrods' top floor, which currently houses childrenswear and its young fashion department, would be converted into a restaurant.

Tags: Harrods, hotel, London, luxury hotels, luxury shopping, Qatar, store, UAE, UK

Ralph Lauren Women's Flagship Opens on Madison Avenue

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel, Luxury Shopping

Ralph Lauren has just opened his luxurious new women's flagship store (above) in New York at 888 Madison Avenue, which now stands as the feminine counterpart to the company's redesigned men's flagship in the historic Rhinelander Mansion across the street, which The Classicist covered in detail a few weeks back. The 22,000-sq-.ft. store, reminiscent of the grand Beaux-Arts architecture of the early 20th Century, is dedicated to Lauren's Women's and Home collections and also features the designer's first domestic Watch & Jewelry Salon. The stately four-story building offers Ralph Lauren Collection, Women's Black Label, Blue Label, Double RL, RLX Ralph Lauren and Home merchandise, along with a range of exclusive products including fine jewelry, made-to-measure women's suiting and Collection sleepwear. While nothing equals the magnificence of the Rhinelander Mansion, the new women's store is a graceful companion to be sure, not to mention larger than its sibling by some 6,000-sq.-ft. At the boutique's official opening the other night Lauren was given the Key to the City by New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg in recognition of his contributions as a designer, business leader and philanthropist.

Tags: architecture, boutique, fashion, fashion designer, luxury shopping, Madison Avenue, Michael Bloomberg, New York, Ralph Lauren, Rhinelander Mansion, store

Thornwillow Press to Open Invisible Boutique at The St. Regis New York

by Carrie Coolidge (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Services, Books, Luxury Shopping

Thornwillow Press to open an invisible boutique at The St. Regis New York this fall.

The St. Regis New York will launch a unique partnership with Thornwillow Press, the limited edition publisher, bespoke stationer, and custom bookbinder.

This fall, The St. Regis New York, which is located at 2 East 55th Street at Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, will unveil an "invisible store" which will offer guests a one of a kind retail experience befitting of the Beaux Arts beauty. "Thornwillow at The St. Regis" will showcase the hotel's elegant interiors while seamlessly merging an expertly curated collection of hand-crafted leather books, Thornwillow publications, art, library accessories, fine stationery, and other curiosities personally selected by Thornwillow's founder and arbiter of style, Luke Ives Pontifell. It is a fitting partnership as The St. Regis brand of hotels is known for its unique luxury, customized service and refined elegance.

Nestled within the walls of the hotel, Thornwillow at The St. Regis will be located in a quiet oasis on the ground floor. This unexpected boutique will be the city's best kept secret and will be a welcome change from the traditional shopping experience. Designed with comfortable reading chairs, writing desks and antique paneled cases, visitors will be drawn in by the warm and intimate atmosphere. Guests will be attended to by the Thornwillow Librarian and encouraged to linger, enjoy a cup of tea, an espresso or fine whiskey while surrounded by a unique selection of beautifully designed, one of kind items, all handmade in Thornwillow's artisanal studios. Thornwillow at The St. Regis will also feature a Stationery Bar were guests will be able to mix and match Thornwillow note cards, journals and other items, selecting various motifs and colors, creating a bespoke set of stationery. Thornwillow products retailed exclusively for The St. Regis New York can be seen online.

Gallery: Thornwillow Press to open at The St. Regis New York

Tags: boutique, John Jacob Astor, Luke Ives Pontifell, luxury shopping, Paul Nash, St. Regis, St. Regis New York, stationery, The St. Regis Hotel New York, Thornwillow, Thornwillow Press

Continue reading “Thornwillow Press to Open Invisible Boutique at The St. Regis New York”

The Classicist: Ralph Lauren Re-Launches Famed Rhinelander Mansion in NYC

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel, Timepieces / Watches, Men's Style, The Classicist, Architecture & Design, Luxury Shopping

Ralph Lauren has relaunched his famed flagship in the historic Rhinelander Mansion on Madison Avenue in New York, transforming it into the world's foremost mecca of men's style. Spanning nearly 16,000 square feet, the Mansion, originally converted into an opulent retail palace by Lauren in 1986, now exclusively houses the designer's various men's collections with the company's first Women's and Home flagships due to open across the avenue later this fall. Originally designed in the 1890s by Kimball & Thompson, the the large French Renaissance Revival Mansion is an architectural treasure as well with a classic Beaux Arts façade exemplary of the the Upper East Side's grand architecture.

The new space showcases the Purple Label, Black Label, Polo, RRL and RLX Ralph Lauren collections of men's apparel and accessories, with an emphasis on the most luxurious elements. Service has been stepped up as well, with butlers to serve snacks and drinks on silver trays and a fleet of Mercedes-Benzes to chauffer important clients on shopping trips. The store features a full range of impeccably crafted made-to-measure suits, dress shirts, trousers, topcoats, sport coats and formalwear customized to exacting measurements, and made-to-order accessories and leather goods. Every room in the Mansion has been updated with cinematic decor in keeping with the neoclassical style of the original grand residence, from antiques and fixtures to furniture and art, including 18th- and 19th-century oil portraits and noteworthy photographs from Ralph Lauren's personal collection.

Gallery: The New Rhinelander Mansion

Tags: antiques, architecture, Beaux Arts, boutique, decor, designer, furniture, Gilded Age, Harvard, interior design, Ivy League, leather goods, luggage, luxury shopping, Madison Avenue, mansion, New York, photographs, Polo, Princeton, Purple Label, Ralph Lauren, retail, Rhinelander Mansion, store, suits, Upper East Side

Continue reading “The Classicist: Ralph Lauren Re-Launches Famed Rhinelander Mansion in NYC”

What Does The Future Hold For Luxury Malls?

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Last year I wrote about Nouvelle at Natick, a new development attached to a mall in the suburbs of Boston. The mall itself, the Natick Collection, seems to be in a bit of trouble. The Boston Globe reports that the mall, which is home to the state's first Nordstrom and first suburban Neiman Marcus, is having trouble attracting shoppers. The mall seems to be a victim of several different factors that include the fear of a recession and high gas prices as well as the fact that those in the suburbs of Boston are conditioned to heading to the city to do their luxury shopping. According to the Globe, the older part of the mall, which is home to traditional mall fixtures like Macy's and Gap is still doing well. Meanwhile the new luxury portion of the mall is hosting cocktail afternoons, lunches and yoga classes to attract attention.

This news comes at a time whenever another huge luxury mall with a residence component has opened in a place not known for luxury stores. This week saw the launch of Americana at Brand in Glendale, California by developer Rick Caruso. Caruso has had a big success with his Grove complex which is located in a more traditionally shopping friendly portion of Los Angeles. Americana at Brand, like the Natick Collection is located in an area in which there is already a thriving mall that caters to a more middle market crowd and it also has a residential part. The article in the Globe posits Natick's affluent surbanites might simply not be ready for luxury spending down the street. Certainly the shopping styles in suburban Los Angeles and suburban Boston differ but it makes me wonder if in six or eight months, Americana at Brand might be facing a similar slowdown. For this week at least the area is swarmed with people checking out the sparkling new shopping center but whether or not that will convert to solid sales will be found after the novelty wears off.

Tags: americana at brand, luxury shopping, LuxuryShopping, malls, natick, natick collection, shopping

A Small World and Net A Porter Team Up For Exclusive Shopping

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel

I've written before about closed online shopping communities but for the most part they have remained relatively limited. That might change a bit with the latest partnership. Long-standing closed social network A Small World has partnered with online luxury fashion site Net-A-Porter to let members of A Small World access and shop directly from the latest international designer collections. Members of A Small World can log on to a special Net A Porter micro site that features the latest looks from over 200 brands including many limited edition items. The site will be updated on a weekly basis and will also have gift guides for shoppers.

Source

Tags: a small world, ASmallWorld, luxury, luxury shopping, net-a-porter, online shopping, social shopping

Luxury Department Stores Continue To Face Tough Times

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

More bad news for the U.S. luxury department stores. WWD has the list of sales figures for December and they aren't pretty. Same-store sales declined 5.4 percent on average for the department store sector with a total of 6.5 percent lost year over year. The luxury retailers were hit hardest, Nordstrom, down 4 percent, Neiman Marcus down 2.9 percent, Macy's fell 7.9 percent and Sak's eked out a .08 percent gain. Out of the 40 retailers WWD tracked, 27 reported negative same-stores sales for the month. The mid-range departments stores were hit too, J.C. Penney fell 7.9 percent and Kohl's declined 0.7 percent. Discount stores did better with Wal-Mart up 2.6 percent and Target up 5 percent. Specialty stores dipped too (3 percent) but overall it was the department stores that suffered the most with a 6.3 percent decline overall. I wonder if the fact that the Christmas holiday season has turned into more of a gadget frenzy and less of a clothing holiday is partly behind this or if this is just more fall out as the masstige market, once fueled by the aspirational shopper, continues to decline.

Source

Tags: holiday shopping, luxury shopping, nordtsrom, retail, shopping

Foxwoods Resort Courts Luxury Shoppers

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

When the Foxwoods Resort in Southern Connecticut opened in the early 1990s it was a fairly modest affair, with slots and games aimed at a mid-range clientele. Now the massive resort is working on a $55 million renovation that will include the addition of four luxury shops, the type likely to be found in the luxury casinos in Las Vegas. Foxwoods has announced Rolex, Bvlgari, Chopard and Judith Ripka storefronts.

It's part of a larger project turning Foxwoods into a draw for guests from around the world. In May, the $700 million MGM Grand at Foxwoods will open up. The new hotel will have 825 rooms, meeting space, a theater, spa casino and restaurants by celebrity chefs Tom Colicchio and Michael Schlow. The MGM Grand at Foxwoods will have its share of shops including Dunhill, Bally and an Apple store.

Source

Tags: connecticut, foxwoods, luxury shopping, resort

Siam Paragon

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

WWD has an piece on the latest luxury shopping mecca, the Siam Paragon in Bangkok. The $365 million mall has a giant saltwater aquarium, marble floors, gourmet food and 250 stores to chose from. There is an 860,000 square foot Paragon department store and high-end retail like Armani, Chanel, Dolce & Gabbana, Chloé, Bottega Veneta, Jimmy Choo and Bulgari. An entire floor of the Siam is the "World of Luxury" where high-end jewelers can be found and there is also a floor devoted to exotic car and yacht dealers. The shopping center is aimed at both rich Thai shoppers and tourists. Tourism is Thailand's top business and although most tourists are from Asia, the number of European and American tourists is rising. Other shopping destinations in the area include the Central Department Stores which spent $20 million adding to its Chidlom flagship to compete with the Siam Paragon and is planning to expand its Zen store; Gaysorn Plaza which also spent spent $60 million on a face-lift; the 215,000-square-foot Siam Discovery Center which is aimed at customers aged 25 and up, and the 430,000-square-foot Siam Centre complex next to Siam Paragon which is designed to lure preteens and teens. Pictures of the mall and the aquarium can be found on this website.

Source

Tags: bangkok, luxury shopping, thailand, tourism