REISS’ NORTH AMERICAN EXPANSION UNDERWAY WITH SLEW OF NEW STORE OPENINGS
The Brits are coming! British fashion brand Reiss is mounting its North American expansion plan that includes the unveiling of the new flagship on Madison Avenue alongside further openings in North America including Westfield World Trade Center, Toronto and Miami, which follow recent debuts in both Australia and France.
The North American expansion forms part of Reiss’ heightened international growth for 2016 with a total of 40 store openings globally, building on an existing portfolio of over 160 sites in 15 countries worldwide.
“North America is a key market for us and we are delighted to be further expanding our presence,” said David Reiss, chairman and CEO.
The newest store, located on Madison and 54th Street in Manhattan, boasts a gallery-like aesthetic with four large installation screens sweeping in from the corners of the 4,698-square-foot space and will open on June 23. Reiss’ World Trade Center flagship venue in lower Manhattan is a similarly designed to suit the lifestyle, appetites and ambitions of city professionals. The core architectural theme in this 2,735-square-foot space is manifested via a series of ‘rain’ screens that add depth to the space, and an articulated ‘cloud’ ceiling made with color-treated Perspex acrylic material that generate a sense of flux between day and night. Reiss World Trade Center is slated to open on August 16.
Reiss’ new store in CF Sherway Gardens shopping center, Toronto tracks an aesthetic line back to many of the brand’s signature British stores, underscoring a design based on placing unusual twists on a classic base. That’s observed most notably in the destination’s most dramatic feature: the façade – a grandly sculptural block of 9 meter high panels of faceted concrete; geometric protrusions that hover above an uninterrupted run of full height glass windows. The 2,407-square-feet store opened last month.
Finally, Reiss’ Miami flagship, located in the city’s luxurious new Brickell City Centre, will open on November 3. In a nod to Art Basel – the city’s annual magnet for creative professionals – the interior design is anchored in a sophisticated, gallery-like aesthetic. The space’s floor-to-ceiling glass windows provide near-full visibility into the largely open-plan interior.
“Brickell has long been an office, condo and hotel district with a scarcity in retail,” added Debora Overholt, vice president of retail for Swire Properties. “Luxury retailers like Reiss are coming from the world’s top fashion capitals to lead the way in positioning Brickell City Centre as the trailblazer of today’s modern shopping experience to the millions of international visitors, residents and daytime workers seeking quality brands in Miami.”
As previously reported by MR, the company was acquired by Warburg Pincus in April, which took a majority stake in the label. This new ownership has allowed the brand to focus on its international expansion.
