Esprit to open headquarters in New York

Esprit is set to cement its place in the US with the opening of a new global creative headquarters in New York City.

The brand announced that it had signed a lease with Hudson Square Properties for a 38,000 square foot, two storey space, which will house its design, branding, creative and marketing efforts.

While the operational headquarters of the brand will remain in Hong Kong, the New York base will accommodate approximately 100 to 120 employees, including Esprit’s chief brand officer, Ana Andjelic, and senior vice president of design, Tom Cawson.

It comes as the company makes its return to the US, where the brand was originally founded, with Esprit CEO William Pak stating in a release: “Our intention is for the brand to resonate with a global audience.

“New York City is the cultural epicentre of the world, a diverse city full of incredible talent. From a creative and design perspective the next evolution of Esprit, like New York, will be sleek, aspirational and timeless.”

Its official relaunch is set for mid-2023, and will have a particular focus on modernising the brand heritage and values for today’s customer.

This will include what Esprit called “luxury apparel with an attainable price point”.

Additionally, the company is working on the opening of flagship stores across the US and Canada in the coming year, as it strives towards bringing back the brand’s retail presence.

Esprit initially closed its North American stores in 2012 after it failed to find a buyer for the business amid falling profits.