Well, not it's all clear - poor Raf is nothing but a mascot to sell accessories. I hope that the line I highlighted is less of a truism, and more of a flop on the part of Deeny, whose journalistic skills leave much to be desired.
Also, I find it incredibly said that the article refers to the company as "Sander," as if Jil is still there. What a cognitive dissonance.
From FWD,
Paris: Jil Sander Moves Next Door
Godfrey Deeny
April 19th, 2007 @ 00:24 AM
Paris
Jil Sander has opened a new flagship in Paris, just two doors down from the location of its former French star boutique.
Sander has opened its new boutique at number 56 Ave Montaigne, the
toniest shopping street in central Paris. The opening, however, marks a
significant new retail direction for Sander, especially as its new
space is half the size of its former flagship.
Under new owners, management and creative director Raf Simons,
Sander has focused on turning around its bottom-line and opening
boutiques that focus more on accessories than fashion.
The original Paris store, located at 52 Ave Montaigne, was opened
in 1993, and occupied a rambling 9,000 square feet, spread over four
floors and designed by architect Micheal Gabellini in a purist
minimalist style. Prior to being redeveloped by Sander, that store had
been the atelier and showroom of Fench fashion designer Madeleine
Vionnet.
The new store comprise 5,000 square feet, offering women?s and
men?s ready-to-wear, shoes, bags, accessories and fragrances. Its
aesthetic respects the house?s minimalist traditions, but is a tad
warmer and fresher in its look.
Sander is following a similar stratgey in Britain. The German label
closed down its massive, almost, church-like Burlington flagship at
London?s Savile Row, amid store losses. It now plans to open a new
London boutique in the fall.
Earlier this year, Sander opened a new store in Frankfurt, its
fifth boutique in Germany, and three new shop-in-shops in Japan. Also
in the pipeline are new stores in Moscow and St Petersburg, plus three
more shop-in-shops in Japan.
Its mid-term goal is to grow its retail chain with 11 new stores
and shop-in-shops, expanding from 32 stores to 43 stores by the end of
2007.
In a word, Sander is on the move.
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