Vivienne Westwood Men store in London©courtesy of Vivienne Westwood.

From Milan to Sao Paolo fashion brands are setting up new stores this spring.
New York has finally seen French designer Isabel Marant launch her SoHo boutique at 469 Broome Street; New Yorkers had been giddy with anticipation for months. Right next-door, Marant's husband, French handbag designer Jérôme Dreyfuss has set up shop, his first one in the US.
Also in New York Anthropologie has opened one of its biggest stores to date in Chelsea at 75 Ninth Avenue, carrying designers such as Tracy Reese, Ruffian's Brian Wolk and Claude Morais.
The largest European Ralph Lauren’s store just opened in Paris in the prestigious location of Saint Germain des Près. It is also housing Europe's first Ralph's restaurant. Designer Karl Largerfeld and the actors Gérard Depardieu and Kevin Spacey all attended the launch.
Vivienne Westwood opened her first full store to men's fashion., a few doors away from the store on Conduit Street in London.
The first Marc by Marc Jacobs store to contain a bar and café has just opened in Milan during I Saloni fair.

Tod's Los Angeles©courtesy of Tod's

The opening of the new Tod's boutique in Beverly Hills was by far the most star-studded event. Actresses Halle Berry, Kate Beckinsale, Kate Bosworth, and Jessica Alba as well as musician couple Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale all turned up to fete the Italian accessory label.

Michael Kors Munich©Courtesy of Michael Kors

Michael Kors has opened the first European store in Munich with a strong focus on accessories including handbags, small leather goods, footwear, eyewear, watches and fragrance.

Queen of the wrap dress, Diane von Furstenberg has opened her first retail location in South America in Sao Paulo in the Iguatemi Shopping Center.

Tod's Los Angeles©courtesy of Tod's

In Asia, Singapore is seeing the APC french label open at the Raffles Hotel Arcade, and in Hong Kong Global affairs magazine Monocle has teamed up with iconic Asian retailer Lane Crawford to create a seasonal shop, which will be open for only five weeks, marks the first Asian home for The Monocle Shop, with previous locations including Palma de Mallorca, Paris and Stockholm.
Not as luxurious, but gigantic, Uniqlo is launching its biggest international store (outside Japan) to date, boasting 3,600 square meters on three floors at 969 west Nanjing Road.

Published 30.04.2010