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Tag: boutique

  • Hera Singapore plans more boutique stores

    Hera Singapore plans more boutique stores

    Korean cosmetics brand Hera Singapore will officially launch at Takashimaya Department Store on May 10.

    And the brand will also open a standalone boutique store within the second half of this year.

    Hera’s parent company Amorepacific considers Singapore a strategically important market for international expansion, due to consumers’ strong demand for global brands and their interest in trends.

    Hera  launched in China, its first overseas market, in 2016.

    Amorepacific also plans to bring its haircare brand Amos to Singapore this year.

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  • Chanel opens first cosmetic boutique in Vietnam

    Chanel opens first cosmetic boutique in Vietnam

    Chanel has opened its first dedicated cosmetics and perfume boutique in Vietnam.

    Opting to debut in Ho Chi Minh City, the new store is located on the ground of the capital’s Saigon Centre shopping mall. Covering 133 square metres, the Chanel shop is designed with a tri-colour theme of black, beige, and burgundy.

    The Vietnamese outlet will sell Chanel’s latest makeup, skincare, and perfume collections – with special emphasis on the ‘Les Exclusifs de Chanel’ perfume collection with 16 scents.

    Local customers are also privy to Chanel’s special skincare service called Sublimage from Chanel beauty team.

    Chanel’s Vietnam cosmetic store opening signals the French fashion house’s continued push in to Asia, a market that is growing.

    In March, Chris Leung joined Chanel as rewards manager, Asia Pacific. Based in Hong Kong, Leung has his five years rewards experience as regional reward manager for Asia Pacific at Oxford University Press.

    According to Euromonitor International, Vietnam’s cosmetics market is vastly made up of imported foreign products, namely from South Korea, Europe and the US, accounting for 90% of the local market.

    A recent report from the Trade Map of ITC (International Trade Centre) and the World Bank showed that Vietnam imported $1.1 billion worth of foreign brand cosmetics in 2016, with the figure expected to double by 2020 to $2.2 billion.

    Perfume topped the list of biggest cosmetics items, accounting for 55% of total imports, followed by makeup products, which account for 21%.

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  • Prada to close boutique at Peninsula hotel as Hong Kong’s retail slump bites

    Prada to close boutique at Peninsula hotel as Hong Kong’s retail slump bites

    Prada will shut its boutique at the Peninsula hotel shopping centre on December 31 in the latest sign that the retail slump is hurting high-end brands. The Italian luxury fashion label made its debut in the city with its 3,091 sq ft outlet at the landmark Tsim Sha Tsui address in 1986.

    But with fewer rich mainland Chinese shoppers visiting the city, analysts warn more luxury stores could fold after expanding too rapidly in the past decade.

    “The tenancy contract between The Peninsula Arcade and Prada will conclude on 31 December 2016,” a hotel spokeswoman said via email.

    A shop assistant at the boutique told the Post that some sales personnel had already left and others would be relocated to the brand’s other shops.

    A Prada spokeswoman said the company had “no comment” on the closure. It currently has 11 stores in the city.

    Prada’s total sales in Greater China tumbled 24.4 per cent in the first six months of the year on a yearly basis, as “Hong Kong and Macau continued to weigh heavily on the region’s contraction”, the company’s latest interim report said.

    Premium lifestyle brand Ralph Lauren quietly closed its 20,000 sq ft store in the Causeway Bay shopping hub overnight earlier this month, and British fashion house Burberry is to cut the size of its biggest Hong Kong flagship store in Pacific Place by 50 per cent within the next financial year.

    Retail sales of luxury items in the city such as jewellery, watches and clocks, and valuable gifts slumped 19.7 per cent in the first 10 months of the year.

    Helen Mak, head of retail service at property consultant Knight Frank, said more luxury brands would have to cut store numbers in the city, which she considered “a healthy adjustment”, after an aggressive expansion in recent years.

    “The store numbers of many luxury brands have doubled in the past decade,” Mak said.

    International high-end labels were eager to increase their presence to lure rich mainland shoppers who began to flood into the city from 2003 when Beijing eased travel restrictions.

    As Hong Kong recovered from severe acute respiratory syndrome – which struck the mainland in late 2002 and Hong Kong in 2003, killing 299 in the city – mainland residents from 49 cities were allowed in as individual travellers rather than having to join tour groups.

    But average spending by mainland visitors has dropped to about HK$7,000 per person this year, compared with HK$9,000 two years ago.

    “For luxury brands, it is a question of whether Hong Kong is still a place worth investing in,” Mak said, adding that some brands preferred to put resources directly into mainland cities.

    This article appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as:

    prada ends its 30-year run at THE peninsula

  • Closure of Ralph Lauren Hong Kong flagship store

    Closure of Ralph Lauren Hong Kong flagship store

    “We are in the midst of transforming our presence in China, a region that we believe will become an important driver of growth for us over the long term,” Ralph Lauren said in 2012 after the fashion conglomerate of which he was then chief executive announced plans to open 60 stores in greater China by 2015.

    A year later, Ralph Lauren launched its first men’s flagship store in Asia in the Landmark Prince’s in Hong Kong’s Central district, and in October 2014 it opened an enormous “mansion” store at the Lee Gardens complex, presenting accessories, watches and jewellery as well as men’s and women’s fashions.

    Fast forward two years, and the 20,000 sq ft store in Causeway Bay is no more, having closed overnight late last week.

    Contacted for comment about its abandonment of the doubtless expensive space in the Lee Gardens, a representative of the brand said the closure was “part of our strategic and financial plan”, adding: “We are redeploying assets to focus on new concept stores and transition away from unprofitable formats and locations.”

    We are redeploying assets to focus on new concept stores and transition away from unprofitable formats and locations

    Ralph Lauren spokeswoman

    Ralph Lauren is “combining men’s and women’s flagships in the recently renovated Prince’s Building location, as well as remaining focused on providing our customers with the authentic style and luxury shopping experience they expect from us,” the spokeswoman said.

    The move is part of a new strategy from Stefan Larsson, who worked for Swedish fast-fashion retailer H&M for 15 years and who replaced Lauren as chief executive in late 2015 (Lauren remains executive chairman and chief creative officer). The restructuring will, according to reports, cut over 50 stores and 1,000 jobs worldwide and save the publicly traded company between US$180 million and US$220 million a year. Its share price has been under pressure in the past 12 months, twice falling below US$85. Ralph Lauren shares closed at US$108.19 on Monday, down more than 9 per cent on their US$119.59 close on December 7, 2015.

    Ralph Lauren’s sudden exit from its Causeway Bay flagship store is the latest high-profile fashion closure to have occurred or been flagged in 2016. American fast-fashion label Forever 21 has announced it will close its multi-storey Causeway Bay flagship store. British label Paul Smith closed its Times Square store and Abercrombie & Fitch is set to leave its prime location in the Pedder Building in Pedder Street, Central – although, with a flailing brand reputation, poor sales and that famous HK$7 million monthly rent to pay, the move by Abercrombie & Fitch came as no surprise. Italian luxury clothing and accessories label Tonino Lamborghini also shut down more than 10 stores and in-store counters in the city earlier this year.

    Abercrombie’s Pedder Street closure will leave it with no stand-alone stores in Hong Kong, an effective withdrawal from the market, following on the closure of some 50 stores in the US in 2016.

    Although the “umbrella revolution” protests in 2014 that were a factor in a downturn in Hong Kong’s retail sales have long ended, political turmoil continues and visitor numbers, having dropped, have not fully recovered. Competition for high-spending Chinese consumers has been stiff, with destinations such as Japan, South Korea, Milan and London stealing some of the traffic from Hong Kong.

    The city’s retail sales dropped 10.5 per cent in the first half of 2016, their worst performance since 1999.

    Still, for all the negative news there are nuggets of hope. Italian brand Versace is opening a huge flagship store opposite the Landmark in Central next year, and mega brand Louis Vuitton is revamping its Hong Kong stores and continuing to invest in the city. Louis Vuitton chief executive and chairman Michael Burke told me a few months ago that “the leader in the market still believes in Hong Kong”.

    However, Louis Vuitton and Versace are definitely in the minority.

    With little sign of major recovery, Hong Kong’s economic outlook uncertain and retail sales continuing to fall, the fashion industry is on tenterhooks and braced for tougher times ahead. Since I wrote about Gucci’s rent dispute with its landlord Hongkong Land in 2015, there have been a spate of big-brand store closures, and threats by more prestige brands to shut up shop if rents aren’t adjusted.

    A few agile, smaller brands may exploit their departure, and subsequent rent drops, but times continue to be tough for the majority. Ralph Lauren probably won’t be the last big brand to close an expensive Hong Kong flagship store. Swire Properties chief executive Guy Bradley said in August he saw no signs of a retail turnaround.

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  • Marie France Van Damme Opens Second Boutique in Hong Kong

    Marie France Van Damme Opens Second Boutique in Hong Kong

    Marie France Van Damme, the Hong Kong-based company known for its globally influenced line of luxury resort, swim, and ready-to-wear, announced today the opening of a seventh boutique in December 2016. Located in Hong Kong’s Elements shopping mall in Kowloon, the new store will mark Marie France Van Damme’s second retail location in Hong Kong, where the designer has lived for more than 30 years. The company opened its very first store in Hong Kong’s acclaimed International Finance Centre (IFC) mall in September 2013. 

    Situated on the second floor (Shop 2109) of the Elements shopping mall, within the International Commerce Centre (ICC), on 1 Austin Road West in Kowloon, the 700-square foot boutique will open alongside such brands as Gucci, Chanel and Prada and include Marie France Van Damme’s extensive luxury resort line. The ICC is Hong Kong’s tallest building and also houses The Ritz-Carlton and W Hong Kong. Incorporating Marie France Van Damme’s signature aesthetic, which blends subtle Asian influences and elegant simplicity, the boutique will feature teak wood, bronze panels, and embossed crocodile leathers with textiles and finishes that can be found in the designer’s home as well as her flagships in Hong Kong and London.

    The ICC’s waterfront location on Victoria Harbour, across from the IFC, suits its important role in the city in many ways. Feng shui teaches that mountains govern people, water governs wealth. The special placement of these skyscrapers is said to channel positive energy for health and prosperity. The shopping mall’s design, and its name, Elements, refer to the feng shui elements: wood, fire, earth, metal, and water. With a direct train linking Elements to Guangzhou, the new boutique will offer a unique luxury shopping experience in one of Hong Kong’s latest attractions on the Kowloon side of the city.

    As Marie France continues to expand her presence worldwide focusing on cities that not only inspire the designer, but also appeal to her sophisticated, jet-set clientele, Marie France Van Damme will celebrate the boutique opening with several special events in Winter 2016 and introduce a new in-store campaign photographed in Hong Kong by Herbert Ypma. The campaign will feature the new Resort 2017 collection, a return to the glamorous roots of resort wear with its muted palette of silver and nude, hand embroidery and opulent fabrics; from French lace to metallic-toned Italian weaves and featherweight Chinese Silks. 

    The company currently has 100 retail locations in some of the world’s most desirable places. Marie France Van Damme opened its first store in the fall of 2013 at the acclaimed International Finance Centre (IFC) in Hong Kong, a second in the summer of 2014 in Bangkok’s esteemed Mandarin Oriental, third and first European boutique in 2014 in London’s Brompton Cross neighborhood, and fourth boutique in the summer of 2015 in Phuket, Thailand. In November 2015, Marie France Van Damme introduced a fifth branded boutique in Singapore’s Takashimaya Shopping Centre and sixth retail location in Phuket in July 2016.

    Made in Hong Kong & South China

    Marie France Van Damme is proud of the production capabilities it has built for itself in the past 30 years. With couture and tailoring facilities in-house and embroidery produced across the border in China, every production piece is fitted and quality verified by Marie-France to ensure that the Marie France Van Damme label fulfills the highest standards in the industry.

    About Elements Shopping Mall/Hong Kong

    Offering over one million square feet of pure shopping experiences, the Elements shopping mall is located in Hong Kong’s tallest building the International Commerce Centre (ICC) on the Kowloon side of Hong Kong. A lavish world offering of shopping, dining, art and entertainment, Elements shopping mall is located next to Hong Kong’s most famous attraction Sky100 Hong Kong Observation Deck and takes a new approach to Hong Kong’s shopping environment and is themed after the five Chinese elements. The five elements are Metal (Luxury brands and world-class dining), Fire (Entertainment), Water (International cuisine), Earth (Fashion) and Wood (Health, Beauty and Lifestyle) whereas each zone is individually designed. Elements boasts a range of sought after brands, dining options, an ice rink and a 1,600 capacity cinema –  currently larger than any movie theatre in Hong Kong.

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  • Marie France Van Damme Announces the Opening of it’s Second Hong Kong Boutique

    Marie France Van Damme Announces the Opening of it’s Second Hong Kong Boutique

    Marie France Van Damme, the Hong Kong-based company known for its globally influenced line of luxury resort, swim, and ready-to-wear, announced today the opening of a seventh boutique in December 2016. Located in Hong Kong’s Elements shopping mall in Kowloon, the new store will mark Marie France Van Damme’s second retail location in Hong Kong, where the designer has lived for more than 30 years. The company opened its very first store in Hong Kong’s acclaimed International Finance Centre (IFC) mall in September 2013.

    Situated on the second floor (Shop 2109) of the Elements shopping mall, within the International Commerce Centre (ICC), on 1 Austin Road West in Kowloon, the 700-square foot boutique will open alongside such brands as Gucci, Chanel and Prada and include Marie France Van Damme’s extensive luxury resort line. The ICC is Hong Kong’s tallest building and also houses The Ritz-Carlton and W Hong Kong. Incorporating Marie France Van Damme’s signature aesthetic, which blends subtle Asian influences and elegant simplicity, the boutique will feature teak wood, bronze panels, and embossed crocodile leathers with textiles and finishes that can be found in the designer’s home as well as her flagships in Hong Kong and London.

    The ICC’s waterfront location on Victoria Harbour, across from the IFC, suits its important role in the city in many ways. Feng shui teaches that mountains govern people, water governs wealth. The special placement of these skyscrapers is said to channel positive energy for health and prosperity. The shopping mall’s design, and its name, Elements, refer to the feng shui elements: wood, fire, earth, metal, and water. With a direct train linking Elements to Guangzhou, the new boutique will offer a unique luxury shopping experience in one of Hong Kong’s latest attractions on the Kowloon side of the city.

    As Marie France continues to expand her presence worldwide focusing on cities that not only inspire the designer, but also appeal to her sophisticated, jet-set clientele, Marie France Van Damme will celebrate the boutique opening with several special events in Winter 2016 and introduce a new in-store campaign photographed in Hong Kong by Herbert Ypma. The campaign will feature the new Resort 2017 collection, a return to the glamorous roots of resort wear with its muted palette of silver and nude, hand embroidery and opulent fabrics; from French lace to metallic-toned Italian weaves and featherweight Chinese Silks.

    The company currently has 100 retail locations in some of the world’s most desirable places. Marie France Van Damme opened its first store in the fall of 2013 at the acclaimed International Finance Centre (IFC) in Hong Kong, a second in the summer of 2014 in Bangkok’s esteemed Mandarin Oriental, third and first European boutique in 2014 in London’s Brompton Cross neighborhood, and fourth boutique in the summer of 2015 in Phuket, Thailand. In November 2015, Marie France Van Damme introduced a fifth branded boutique in Singapore’s Takashimaya Shopping Centre and sixth retail location in Phuket in July 2016 

    Made in Hong Kong & South China

    Marie France Van Damme is proud of the production capabilities it has built for itself in the past 30 years. With couture and tailoring facilities in-house and embroidery produced across the border in China, every production piece is fitted and quality verified by Marie-France to ensure that the Marie France Van Damme label fulfills the highest standards in the industry.

    About Elements Shopping Mall/Hong Kong

    Offering over one million square feet of pure shopping experiences, the Elements shopping mall is located in Hong Kong’s tallest building the International Commerce Centre (ICC) on the Kowloon side of Hong Kong. A lavish world offering of shopping, dining, art and entertainment, Elements shopping mall is located next to Hong Kong’s most famous attraction Sky100 Hong Kong Observation Deck and takes a new approach to Hong Kong’s shopping environment and is themed after the five Chinese elements. The five elements are Metal (Luxury brands and world-class dining), Fire (Entertainment), Water (International cuisine), Earth (Fashion) and Wood (Health, Beauty and Lifestyle) whereas each zone is individually designed. Elements boasts a range of sought after brands, dining options, an ice rink and a 1,600 capacity cinema –  currently larger than any movie theatre in Hong Kong.

    About Marie France Van Damme

    Marie France Van Damme is a Canadian-born, Hong-Kong based fashion designer, celebrated hostess and author, whose luxury lifestyle resort wear brand is inspired by her travels and personal style. Marie France Van Damme introduced her eponymous label in the summer of 2011.  The Marie France Van Damme line is defined by an edited collection of elegant and seasonless staples with every piece designed to transition seamlessly from city to resort. The brand is loved by celebrities such as Beyoncé, Jourdan Dunn, Heidi Klum, Cameron Diaz, Olivia Palermo, Christina Hendricks, and Catherine Zeta-Jones.

    Marie France Van Damme is available at her other retail locations in Hong Kong, Bangkok, Phuket, Singapore, Phuket and London, Bergdorf Goodman, Harrods, Selfridges, Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, Intermix and exclusive resorts such as Amanresorts and the One & Only.  She is also the author of the coffee table book RSVP: Simple Sophistication, Effortless Entertaining (Thames & Hudson) featuring her effortless style and entertaining tips with photographs by Herbert Ypma of the Hip Hotels series.

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