US luxury retailer Michael Kors is set to make its UK debut after signing for a store in London’s West End.
The retailer has taken a unit at 153 New Bond Street, close to luxury rivals Louis Vuitton and Hermes, with which it will be in direct competition.
It is in the process of fitting out the store, which sits over 2,700 sq ft (250 sq m) of ground
floor space.
The shop is likely to be the only one of its kind that Michael Kors opens in the UK, although it is understood the retailer wants to open a number of diffusion range stores, which will trade under the same name but sell more youth-oriented collections. The most likely locations for the first of these are Glasgow
and Manchester.
The retailer has appointed London-based agent Michael Peddar & Company on a solely retained basis. The agent oversaw the New Bond Street deal, which was signed with a private landlord.
Michael Peddar managing director Eric Eastman said the London flagship store is “going to be the new Miu Miu”. He added: “They are clearly planning to continue expanding around
the world.”
Michael Peddar will also manage future acquisitions across
the country.
The brand is already sold in the UK in high-end London department stores Harrods, Harvey Nichols and Selfridges, and online at Net-a-Porter. Dresses retail for around£800 and handbags between£200 and£400.
Michael Kors has signed the store as part of a push to expand its presence globally. It is represented in 45 countries around the world, with stores in Europe, the US, South America, Asia and the Middle East.
Designer Michael Kors established the eponymous brand in New York in 1981 and has a number of boutique stores in the US, as well as overseas branches in Hong Kong and Dubai.
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