International jewellery brands to open stores in Mayfair, despite closures

Mayfair’s Burlington Arcade remains an attractive retail space for brands, as two new international jewellery are planning to open their first London stores.

According to the Evening Standard the 200 year-old shopping arcade will house new boutiques for Istanbul-founded Mevaris and Jaipur-headquartered Amrapali in December and January.

London as a retail destination remains attractive to overseas brands despite a number of setbacks for fashion companies this year, reports the Standard, including lockdowns and having to invest in stores to make them ‘Covid secure’.

Mevaris’ creative director Fatma Altinbas said Burlington Arcade is the “perfect home” for the brand.

Rajiv Arora and Rajesh Ajmera, founders of Amrapali, said: “When the opportunity to open in Burlington Arcade came up it was very interesting, and had to be considered as it is an iconic arcade, in the middle of Mayfair with a focus on luxury, and somewhere we have looked at previously.”

Burlington Arcade is also home to a number of retailers, including Manolo Blahnik and Roja Parfums. Jamie Reuben,director of Burlington Arcade, said: “Despite the current global climate, we have been fortunate to welcome luxury brands from around the world to Burlington Arcade.”

Claudine Marshall, senior director at CBRE, one of the leasing agents for the Burlington Arcade, said: “During the pandemic we have secured independent bespoke luxury brands to take units . They are looking beyond the pandemic as they see London as one of the most important retail markets for them to showcase their products and connect with the international customer.”

Article source: Evening Standard. Image via Mevaris.com.