British accessories brand Kurt Geiger continues to expand its international reach.
The brand opened a 2,916-square-foot store on Oxford Street last year, and an additional four to five units are set to debut in North America by the end of the year. Now Kurt Geiger is making a splash at Galeries Lafayette, with a pop-up at the department store’s Champs-Élysées location until April 15.
“Galeries Lafayette is such a recognizable and respected retail brand, and they are a democratic retailer. I was thrilled when they offered up the opportunity,” said Steven Sousa, the brand’s chief international officer.
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“At Kurt Geiger we’re being very selective about our distribution and where we open stores — we’re willing to wait for the best location in a market, such as the atrium of Galeries Lafayette, which is the store’s largest and most sought-after space.”
A tunnel has been set up from the entrance of the department store that leads to the ground floor atrium, where a pavilion-like installation has been placed with stained glass window panes inspired by Kurt Geiger’s London store in shades of aqua, raspberry, bright blue and baby pink.
The brand’s colorful summer campaign will be played on a loop on four screens outside Galeries Lafayette, which sees more than 100,000 visitors passing by every day.
The pop-up will include some of Kurt Geiger’s bestsellers, such as the Southbank tote bag and Kensington bucket hat in a rainbow, swirly psychedelic print; the denim range that includes the Orson sandals, and the Kensington collection of bags with the brand’s eagle symbol.
The brand is also expanding its presence in markets such as Spain and Italy.
“Our bestsellers in Spain and Germany are also our bestsellers in Mexico, the U.S. and the Middle East. Our brand is about color, life and creativity,” said Sousa.
Although Kurt Geiger is best known for footwear, revenue growth has been coming from a number of categories, namely handbags, which now represent 60 percent of the business. It also sells accessories including small leather goods, belts, hats, gloves, jewelry and tights.
Overall revenue reached about $400 million last year, with 50 percent coming from the brand and the other half from Kurt Geiger’s U.K. luxury division, which operates footwear departments for retailers including Harrods and Selfridges.