Making a Marc on the mainland
When launching signature boutiques in major US cities, fashion designers often establish big-tent, flagship stores that offer a full range of goods.
Bucking this trend, Marc Jacobs opts instead to open clusters of smaller shops that showcase specific segments of his retail empire while enhancing his brand image.
His new stores, which opened late last month in Beijing, are no exception.
The two shops, facing each other at the Shin Kong Place, separately showcase the Marc Jacobs Collection and the more casual Marc by Marc Jacobs line. New York City-based architect Stephan Jaklitsch, who has collaborated on 60 Marc Jacobs boutiques worldwide, designed the new Beijing stores.
According to Bertrand Stalla Bourdillon, chairman and CEO of Marc Jacobs International, the two stores offer 90 per cent of Marc Jacobs ready-to-wear and Mark by Marc Jacobs garments available in the United States and Europe.
The designer's soft and breezy 2007 spring and summer collection features tone-to-tone layering of pure white, mild khaki, light purple and grey. Black and white mismatches create nostalgic sensations while blasts of gold and silver add extra shine and glamour.
Ruffles and flower-like cuttings have been infused into the designs while loose-cuts continue to remain in trend. Chunky trim knits adorned with lace make for an elegant and happy-go-lucky style while crumpled body-hugging tweed jackets and coats are must-have fashion items.
From tiny pleats that flank the jackets to big and small checkered patterns, the collection is a clever mishmash of styles inspired by sunsets, clouds and water. Quilted with collages of tone-to-tone knitted materials, patchwork knitwear looks to be the most impressive and refreshing breakthrough this season.
Local supermodels such as Lu Yan were on hand to showcase these designs at the opening of the Shin Kong Place stores, the first of 15 outlets planned for the Chinese mainland this year. That number will then expand to 21 over the next three years.
"The mixture of Western fashion and Chinese history and culture works very well now. Here in China Marc Jacobs has loyal customers who love elegant fashion products," Bourdillon told China Daily.
(China Daily 05/11/2007 page18)
