Desigual is headed to Australia, with the local licensee of the Spanish fashion brand exclusively sharing the label’s rollout plans with Inside Retail PREMIUM. Desigual will open its first Australian store at the soon to be revamped The Strand Melbourne shopping arcade in Melbourne’s CBD on October 14. Gold Coast-based Edwards Imports, headed by Janine Edwards, holds the local license for Desigual, with Edwards telling Inside Retail PREMIUM there is scope for a Desigual store in each
capital city in Australia.
“This is the flagship, so once that gets going we are planning for one in each state,” she said.
“Sydney would probably be the next logical step. The CBD is the area that Desigual likes to target so we’d be looking at Westfield [Sydney] or something similar.”
Edwards Imports operates two retail boutiques on the Gold Coast, Janine Edwards and Fifiluxe by Janine Edwards; and a third store in Sydney, Come As You Are.
It also stocks international labels including Odd Molly, J Brand, and American Vintage.
Desigual is known for its bright clothing and even bolder marketing techniques, such as offering free clothes to shoppers who arrive in their underwear.
The chain was founded by Thomas Meyer, in 1984 and has 325 stores worldwide.
The label is aiming to hit €1 billion in global sales this year, with plans to add 100 stores a year for the next three years.
The Strand Melbourne is a 2300sqm retail arcade currently undergoing expansion on the corner of Elizabeth and Lonsdale streets and by ISPT, who was also responsible for the opening of H&M at Melbourne’s GPO.
At The Strand, Desigual will be join fellow international fashion label and H&M sister brand, Cos.
Cos, which stands for Collection Of Style, is the second largest brand under the H&M group and is expected to open in November.
“I think Australia is now ready for this type of fashion exposure,” said Edwards.
“Melbourne city used to be so dead and had lost its heart, but now you can definitely feel it coming back and with Emporium opening and the whole city’s growth really on the move and it’s exciting,” Edwards said.
