US apparel brand Brooks Brothers has opened a flagship store at Gateway Harbour City in Tsim Sha Tsui, as well as a concept store at Times Square, Causeway Bay.
Brooks Brothers is known for creating the button-down collar and seersucker suits, and its new boutiques showcase the same classic looks as featured at its first Hong Kong store at IFC Mall.
Brooks Brothers opened its original store in New York in 1818.
Parisian fashion house BA&SH has partnered with Hong Kong retail and brand management company ImagineX Group to strengthen its presence in Asia.
BA&SH has hopes of accelerating its expansion in Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore, Taiwan and China. The label opened its first Asian store at Hong Kong’s IFC Mall in September 2014 and with ImagineX now plans 30 more openings in the region, including a second Hong Kong outlet early next year.
“Hong Kong customers have taken to our style and our collections,” say designers Barbara Boccara and Sharon Krief. “We are very happy to share our vision of fashion and femininity.”
Associate general directors Dan Arrouas and Pierre-Arnaud Grenade say the new partnership marks an important and supplementary stage in the company’s development strategy following its establishment in the Middle East and the US.
They say the ImagineX Group’s expertise in fashion retail and marketing will help BA&SH expand rapidly and contribute to its globalisation.
ImagineX Group president Alice Wong says the label’s Parisian flair, combined with its unique positioning and price point, make it appealing to Asian customers.
Childhood friends, Boccara and Krief established BA&SH in 2003 to offer contemporary fashion in the affordable luxury sector. With 91 stores last year, the brand aims to reach 130 stores this year.
Founded in 1992, ImagineX Group introduced luxury brands such as Cartier, Gucci, Prada and Salvatore Ferragamo to China more than 20 years ago. It represents more than 18 international brands including DKNY, Marc Jacobs and Paul Smith. The portfolio also includes such lifestyle and beauty brands as Apivita, Aveda and Natura Bisse.
Calvin Klein, Inc, a wholly owned subsidiary of PVH Corp, has opened the first Calvin Klein accessories store in Hong Kong, at IFC Mall.
Located on level one of the mall, the store offers both men’s and women’s Calvin Klein Platinum accessories and leather goods. Its interior features simple geometric forms as a framework for product display, contrasted with oiled wood, rose-toned metal, honed stone and concrete.
Product lines under various Calvin Klein brands include women’s dresses and suits, men’s clothing, sportswear, golf apparel, jeanswear, underwear, fragrances, eyewear, hosiery, socks, footwear, swimwear, jewellery, watches, outerwear, handbags, small leather goods and home furnishings (including furniture).
For more than 130 years, PVH Corp. has been growing US brands and businesses, becoming one of the largest apparel companies in the world. It has more than 30,000 associates in 40-plus countries, with more than US$8 billion in revenues last year. As well as Calvin Klein, PVH owns such brands as Arrow, Speedo, Tommy Hilfiger, Van Heusen and Warner’s.
Chinese department store chain Lane Crawford is giving consumers a relaxing retreat from the bustle of Hong Kong.
Within the retailer’s ifc mall flagship, a Sound Room has been set up for visitors to experience the sound’s power as a form of therapy. Increasingly, sales floor space is being used for more than just product displays, as retailers seek to create places for consumers to extend their time in-store.
“I love Lane Crawford because they are always trying new things to differentiate themselves and create a luxurious and unique experience for their customers,” said Gustavo Gomez, senior advisor at Envirosell, New York.
“They are in the business of delighting their patrons, and this new sound space does that,” he said. “This space not only provides something new that other retailers don’t have, but it is an experience in sensorial luxury. In our modern cities, noise is a 24/7 phenomenon. Whether one perceives the daily noise or not, it has an influence on our mental function – it increases stress levels.
“Lane Crawford’s sound room may help reduce stress and thus reduce price sensitivity. It would be interesting to see if those that use the sound room have different purchase patterns than those that don’t.It is also a great way to sell the high-end speakers.”
Mr. Gomez is not affiliated with Lane Crawford, but agreed to comment as an industry expert.
Lane Crawford did not respond before press deadline.
Tone quality
On Lane Crawford’s Web site, an article delves into sound’s effect on the mind and body, from health to well-being.
The constant noise of traffic, including car horns and the rumble of cars, ignites primal responses to danger based on its similarities to screams and the sound of earthquakes. This causes a fight or flight effect, sending adrenaline coursing through the body many times a day and making consumers tired.
Counteracting this, music that is slower than the heartbeat, at less than 60 beats per minute, can help create a sense of calm.
Inside Lane Crawford’s ifc mall store
Accompanying the article is a soundtrack of twinkling tones embellished with chirping birds, allowing the reader to heal themselves.
Responding to the rise in sound therapy, Lane Crawford has launched a Sound Room.
Demonstrating the escape from sound, Lane Crawford filmed a short video.
The text “Lane Crawford presents a journey of discovery through sound” appears over a series of scene-setting shots in which people crowd into subway cars and buses roam the streets of Hong Kong. Suddenly, the film zooms in on a man, who walks up to a pair of B&O Play headphones.
As he puts them over his ears, he is suddenly transported to a plant-filled room painted green. The tranquil space boasts beanbag chairs, reading material and mood lighting.
While sound waves surround his head, he can place himself on the beach or on a mountaintop.
The Sound Room will be open until Aug. 29.
“This addition once again makes Lane Crawford stand apart from the competition as an innovative retailer that cares about the whole customer and not only about the individual sale,” Mr. Gomez said. “Lane Crawford continues to be a place where one goes to indulge all the senses.
“They are going beyond the touch and feel aspect of shopping and beyond background music while you shop,” he said. “One can now pamper oneself through hearing.”
Experiential environments
Other retailers have turned what would traditionally be selling space into places to engage consumers.
British department store chain Selfridges is embracing literal retail theater with a celebration of the work of renowned playwright William Shakespeare.
In honor of the 400th anniversary of the Bard’s death, the retailer is launching a multichannel campaign, “Shakespeare Refashioned,” updating some of his most popular plays through a fashion-forward filter. Through this celebration, beginning July 4, Selfridges is able to showcase its affection for the arts while highlighting its British heritage.
Part of Selfridges’ effort includes the opening of an in-store theater, which will host a production and drama workshop classes.
The luxury retail environment is undergoing critical changes, making it is essential for retailers to focus their attention on enhancing the in-store experience, according to a report by Unity Marketing.
Affluent consumers increasingly prefer to shop online, and for traditional retailers to compete they will need to offer more specialized and personalized retail experiences. Furthermore, as affluents have been shown to have less interest in the accumulation of possessions, it is important for retailers to make stores more experiential and craft a rewarding experience for consumers.
“Retail has been on the experiential route for a couple of years now,” Mr. Gomez said. “From in-store cafes to treasure hunts, from lighting and sound to concerts.
“The key is to match the experience with the brand,” he said. “Many retailers are still missing that connection.
“Lane Crawford seems to match their experience with their brand. Only time will tell if shoppers see the sound experience and something they want in-store. If it succeeds, it may become a permanent area of the store.”
Apple’s first retail store in Hong Kong is expanding with the addition of a third floor.
The store, located in IFC Mall, opened its doors in 2011. Three more have since opened across the territory, but demand for Apple’s products still caused frequent congestion inside the IFC Mall location.
In a catchy promotion announcing the expansion, Apple has mounted signs with the slogan: “We’re taking things up a level”.
According to AppleInsider, construction of the extra floor is nearly complete. The store will feature a new, separate staircase to access the new zone.
Apple opened its 28th store in China last week, with plans to have a total of 40 retail locations in Greater China by mid-2016.
Luxury fashion brand Valentino has opened a new boutique in Shanghai.
The new Valentino Shanghai IFC Mall boutique features 490 sqm of retail space.
It was developed by creative directors, Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli, together with British architect Sir David Chipperfield.
Valentino says the store “perfectly represents the core values of the Maison: luxury, elegance and Italian craftsmanship.”
The store concept combines old and new, heritage and style co-exist in the idea of a new future that is not nostalgic, but full of memories.
The Shanghai IFC mall store carries womenswear, menswear and accessories.
IFC Mall in the Pudong financial district is one of the premium retail destinations in the city.
Parisian perfumery Atelier Cologne has opened a new store at IFC Mall.
The Atelier Cologne Hong Kong store is the first for the brand in the city. The brand was founded in 2009 by Sylvie Ganter and Christopher Cervasel, who decided to pursue their passion for cologne and opened a boutique.
Later, they created Colognes Absolues, a perfume line with 25 types of fragrances where each fragrance is blended with citrus base to create a longer lasting effect. The store also sells soaps, shower gels, body lotions and candles.
The bold blue storefront really stands out among IFC Mall tenants, while inside the store features a more minimalist design using simple wooden furniture and furnishings and a sort of ‘modern laboratory’ feel.
Perfumes are displayed in bottles with distinctive leather caps. After making a purchase, customers can have the bottles personally engraved.
London jeweller Carat* has opened a new boutique in IFC Mall in Central.
The store is one of two opened in Greater China in recent weeks – the other being inside IFC Mall in Shanghai.
Founded by Englishman Scott Thompson in 2003, Carat* describes itself as one of the world’s leading luxury fashion jewellers.
“Our pieces combine the timeless glamour of a bygone era with a little modern day wearability. Carat* jewellery is about fantasy rather than reality and our jewels are chosen rather than invested, admired rather than shown off. Most importantly, though, our jewels are supposed to be worn rather than hidden in a safe,” the company says online.
The two new stores feature a “refreshed” Carat* global store model with pale tones and a luxury ambience.
As well as its stand alone boutiques, the jeweller has shop-in-shops in luxury department store Lane Crawford in Hong Kong, and in Harrod’s in London.
Carat* designs, develops and assembles jewellery using its own uniquely created gemstones. Each stage of preparation is done by hand – from pre-forming and faceting to polishing and setting.
The brand has been worn by celebrities all over the world, including Lisa Snowdon, Michelle Williams, the cast of Gossip Girl, Melissa, George, Katherine Kelly, Lucy Jo Hudson, Lydia Bright, Amy Nuttall, Kara Tointon, Juliet Stevenson, and Vicky McClure.
To mark its 165th birthday, luxury department store Lane Crawford invited its community of leading and emerging brands and creative talents to share their vision of the future.
Their perspectives are transformed into a series of exclusive designs, capsule collections, artistic installations and uniquely curated product showcases that engage customers to imagine what the future may bring.
With more than 600,000 square feet of retail space, Lane Crawford has 11 points of sale across Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai and Chengdu. With an online store, purpose built for China while also shipping globally, Lane Crawford is China’s first luxury omni-channel fashion retailer. Featuring the largest designer portfolio across Womenswear, Menswear, Cosmetics, Home and Lifestyle, and Fine Jewellery in the region, Lane Crawford showcases more than 1000 international brands.
Innovative Beijing-based architecture and design firm People’s Architecture Office presents its vision of the future of modern living through giant twisting metal tubular structures that customers can climb inside to explore a whole other landscape. Hong Kong-based architectural design studio Sky Yutaka has created a mesmerising kinetic installation where the future is a haunting rendition of machine-made beauty, featuring robotic rain flowers that gently furl and unfurl their petals in response to a flowing stream of water. Musical wunderkinds Mimi Xu and Rosey Chan continue to inspire the future of sound with their distinctive take on classical electronica music accompanied by a stunning multisensory visual narrative. Other creative luminaries such as Li Lihong, Angel Chen and Alan Chan have also contributed their visions of what the world will look like in 165 years.
Limited Editions
The store has also collaborated with an array of brands to offer a selection of exclusive editions as part of the 165 celebrations. Womenswear designer and Chairman of the Council of Fashion Designers of America, Diane Von Furstenberg has redesigned her signature wrap dress with a Chinese twist. There are also capsule collections from T by Alexander Wang, MSGM, Ms Min and Chictopia Fine Jewellery exclusives come from Nathalie Melville and Tasaki, and there is an exclusive watch design from Mad.
Menswear designers including Haider Ackermann, Neil Barrett, Paul Smith, Rick Owens, Uma Wang and Ziggy Chen have been invited to develop the Silk Capsule collection, incorporating the traditional Chinese fabric in refreshing styles.
In addition, there are limited editions from a number of cosmetic and lifestyle brands. Shanghai Tang presents an exclusive lacquer box set with its signature women’s fragrance collection, including a personalised engraving service. Valmont offers the Elixir Tribute to Lalique in a sublime red lacquer box topped with Lalique crystal.
On the local front, Tom Dixon brings another global exclusive to the party with the launch of his new coffee range, “Brew”, and the maverick British product designer also curates the “Living Room of the Future” installation, which offers a vision of home entertainment in years to come. Another iconic British brand, Fortnum & Mason has created the exclusive Lane Crawford 165 tea blend special edition. Other home products include a limited-edition “165” scented candle from L’Objet; a specially made game table by Chinese architect and designer Naihan Li; a digital printed rug from Dutch brand Moooi; neon light décor with Chinese characters meaning ‘prosperity’, ‘fortune’ and ‘home’ from Italy’s Seletti; and an Asia-exclusive launch of a new lamp in taupe and brass from Anglepoise.
Lane Crawford will hold its 165th Anniversary Celebrations Party at the IFC Mall store on September 9. The festivities continue with a weekend of shopping privileges and anniversary-themed prizes across all Lane Crawford stores in Hong Kong from September 11 to 13.
Who Is Nick Wooster
Having worked with highly respected fashion brands and renowned retailers around the world, street style guru Nick Wooster demonstrates his flair for fashion and eye for detail by co-curating a dedicated space for modern men’s wardrobe essentials at Lane Crawford IFC Mall, where Wooster + Lardini, his eclectic collaboration with Italian brand Lardini, is also showcased.
The dapper Wooster will also make a personal appearance at Lane Crawford ifc mall for an exclusive styling session and cocktail party on August 13.