Belstaff Announces Global Flagships in London & New York

NEW YORK, Jan. 26, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Harry Slatkin, CEO, is pleased to announce the Autumn 2012 opening of Belstaff's flagship stores on New Bond Street, London and Madison Avenue, New York City. This is the company's first retail endeavor since Labelux Group acquired the brand in June 2011, an inauguration that brings the company back to its British roots and marks the beginning of the fashion house's exciting new chapter as a global luxury brand.

(Photo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120126/NY42309-a )    
(Photo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120126/NY42309-b ) 

Belstaff House, its London flagship, is located at 135-137 New Bond Street in Mayfair, London.

The five-story, 26,000 square-foot Belstaff House will contain a two-level retail store which will showcase the newly re-launched Women's and Men's Autumn/Winter 2012 Collections and will also be home to its London showroom.

Slatkin said, "Belstaff House on Bond Street affirms our commitment to embracing the brand's British roots and heritage. With our presentation and store opening in 2012, our company plans to establish its foundation for international expansion for this storied luxury brand."

Built in 1876 and originally known as Renoir House (online it says Aeolian Hall http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=42105#s4) the New Bond Street building boasts a colorful historical past: originally as an exhibition gallery for artists such as Alma Tadema, Whistler, and Albert Moore, and from 1943-1975, as a recording studio for the BBC, who hosted the Beatles along with a variety of other acts. Most recently, a collective of prestigious antique dealers occupied the space.

Belstaff's New York flagship is located at 814 Madison Avenue. The century old limestone and brick building, will be home to Belstaff's first freestanding retail store and marks Belstaff's entrance into the U.S. luxury market. The store is 4,000 square-feet, and will provide a luxury retail experience for the Belstaff customer.

"As an English Heritage Luxury brand we are proud to have Belstaff start its U.S. retail expansion with Madison Avenue on what is considered the most prestigious luxury retail avenue in the world," said Slatkin.

The flagship stores design will be overseen by William Sofield, of Studio Sofield, acclaimed for his modern and innovative luxury retail concepts.

During London's Fashion Week, Belstaff will debut its Autumn/Winter 2012 Women's, Men's and Accessories Collections, designed under the new creative direction of Martin Cooper, Chief Creative Officer. The Autumn/Winter 2012 Collection is influenced by Belstaff's rich history and archives.

About Belstaff
In June 2011, Belstaff was acquired by the Labelux Group, Harry Slatkin and Tommy Hilfiger. Harry Slatkin is the new CEO and is focused on repositioning Belstaff as a luxury lifestyle brand and taking the brand's DNA back to its British roots. The vision is to restore the heritage of Belstaff and to position it amongst the most important luxury players. The brand is building a world-class team, incorporating luxurious and unique fabrics, and continuing to Italian production. Most importantly, under the new leadership, the collection is being modernized so that it is well positioned for the current luxury market. Under the creative command of Martin Cooper, Belstaff's heritage waxed cotton outerwear are being restored and recreated using luxurious textiles with a modern edge. In addition to outerwear, Mr. Cooper and his team will be responsible for all women's, men's, accessories, and shoes, which are being completely re-launched under the new design mandate. The brand has had many symbolic supporters including Lawrence of Arabia, Che Guevara, Sammy Miller, Amelia Earhart, and Steve McQueen, and has also been featured in many of contemporary films such as Ocean's Twelve, Indiana Jones, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Terminator IV, Amelia, Iron Man II, Wall Street II, Harry Potter. Evidently, the brand today has an extensive and supportive celebrity following. www.belstaff.com

About Labelux
Labelux is a division of the Reimann family's private investment vehicle Joh A. Benckiser SE, which also owns perfume maker Coty Inc., a leading global beauty company with sales of nearly $4 billion for the year ended June 30, 2010, and a stake of 16% in Reckitt Benckiser, a global force in household, health and personal care, listed in the London Stock Exchange with a market capitalisation of over 25bn pounds Sterling. The Reimann family, under the stewardship of Peter Harf, Chairman of Labelux and the driving force behind the establishment and development of Reckitt Benckiser and Coty, founded Labelux in 2007 with the aim of creating a significant new global player in the luxury goods market to benefit from the underlying trends which support the long-term growth of this industry. www.labeluxgroup.com

SOURCE Belstaff

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