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Rue Madame, a new fashion concept boutique that brings the latest clothing and accessory brands exclusively from Paris to Hong Kong, opened its first store today (April 9).
Located in Lee Gardens Two in Causeway Bay, Rue Madame is a concept created by Ariane Zagury in collaboration with Patricia and Nathalie Samson. The Samson sisters have distinguished careers in the international fashion world and have owned well-established concept stores in Paris as well as having advised some of the famous French clothing brands.
With Rue Madame, Ms Zagury's ambition is to bring the next fashion phenomenon to Hong Kong with a Parisian twist. "It was a longing to introduce the true Parisian style of fashion to Hong Kong women that led to Rue Madame's being conceived," she said.
"Housing multiple French designer brands, this boutique is one-stop shopping for trendsetting women looking to create a unique and fashionable look."
Most of the labels that Rue Madame carries are already major fashion must-haves in Europe and the US and many have been brought to Hong Kong exclusively by the store. Names such as Maje, Sandro, Iro, Manoush, Dress Gallery, Les Prairies de Paris, Gat Rimon, American Retro, American Vintage and Marani are set to appeal to young and discerning women of all ages.
With this first opening, Rue Madame is looking to create excitement and to build brand awareness for its major brands, working with them to build their reputation in Hong Kong. In the medium term, the intention is to open two other point of sales in carefully selected areas in Hong Kong.
Ms Zagury said that Hong Kong's position as the major fashion and retail scene in Asia is a key reason behind setting up the store in the city. "Hong Kong is a unique place as people are very much into fashion and looking for exclusivity. But at the same time we found a gap in the offer of fashionable brands apart from the luxury brands and the mass retailers. Rue Madame is looking to fill this fashion void with tasteful and carefully selected brands from Paris," she said.
She added that the owners behind Rue Madame had been impressed by Hong Kong's qualitative infrastructure, its driven labour force and its entrepreneurial state of mind, qualities echoed by Director-General of Investment Promotion at Invest Hong Kong, Mr Simon Galpin.
"We were delighted to provide Rue Madame with qualitative information on best market practices and reliable contacts to help facilitate its setting up in our city. The owners' strategic decision to bring this fashion concept to Hong Kong reflects their clear understanding of the benefits of being in the fashion retail business here," he said.
"We are pleased to see the owners behind this concept choose Hong Kong as their first retail location in Asia Pacific. Hong Kong is a cosmopolitan metropolis and we take pride in our unique blend of East and West, a rare combination of cultures from around the world. In an era of increasing globalisation, we see our multinational and multicultural society as a source of strength.
About Rue Madame
Rue Madame is a women's fashion retailer based in Hong Kong and specialising in Parisian fashion. For more information, please visit www.ruemadame.com.
About Invest Hong Kong
Invest Hong Kong is the department of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government responsible for Foreign Direct Investment, supporting overseas, Mainland and Taiwanese businesses to set up and expand in Hong Kong. We provide free advice and customised services to help your business succeed in our vibrant economy. For more information, please visit www.investhk.gov.hk.
Ends/Friday, April 9, 2010
Issued at HKT 12:01
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