Stella McCartney expands in Asia

Stella McCartney, who on Tuesday was voted designer of the year at the British Fashion Awards, has opened its first boutique in Southeast Asia in Singapore. The designer, along with parent company luxury group PPR has been targeting Asia for expansion of the brand.

The store joins three outlets for the brand in China, regional distributor, The Lane Crawford Joyce Group said in a statement on Monday. It is also part of a global expansion by the McCartney label that will see shops in Tokyo, the Middle East and Moscow within the next few years.

The Singapore store stocks McCartney's main label as well as accessories including perfumes and her newly launched organic cosmetics line. Along with Hong Kong and Shanghai, Singapore is one of the main shopping centers in Asia, where a growing, newly affluent class is fuelling demand for luxury goods.

The city state's own economy is also booming, and retailers are seeking to capitalise on that. Earlier this month, Italian luxury brand Salvatore Ferragamo showcased its Spring/Summer 2008 collection in Singapore.