Alexa Chung eyes up Asian expansion ahead of retail push

London - Alexa Chung aims to take Asia by storm, as the model-turned-designer is set to strengthen her eponymous brand’s presence in Japan, South Korea and Taiwan before launching its retail push.

ALEXACHUNG, which previously partnered with Bluebell for the exclusive distribution of the brand in Japan, has a strong following in the country. The designer’s It-Brit, cool-girl style has gained her a global following, especially in fashion capitals like London, Paris, Tokyo and Seoul. This is why Chung flew out to host a Q&A session at the brand’s pop-up store opening in Isetan, Shinjuku, Japan last Saturday.

Prior to ALEXACHUNG’s pop-up store opening, which opened on April 7, Alexa Chung also hosted a special presentation of the brand’s Spring 2018 collection, ‘Virginia’, in a studio located next to the iconic Tokyo Tower. The presentation, which was inspired by the Bloomsbury set, featured an elaborate diorama set, painted on site which showcased the rooms of a traditional Bloomsbury house in East Sussex. During the presentation, ALEXACHUNG also revealed a range of limited edition accessories created especially for the pop-up store in Isetan.

Edwin Bodson: “We’re working towards increasing the brand awareness in Asia"

“We’re working towards increasing the brand awareness in Asia, choosing Bluebell as our exclusive distributor, and continue to build the business with our already loyal Japanese customers,” said Edwin Bodson, Managing Director at Alexa Chung in a statement. “The Isetan pop-up will be followed by more pop-ups in Asia in the coming 12 months.” The brand’s series of events and pop-up stores across Japan, Taiwan and South Korea offer ALEXACHUNG the chance to test the markets before rolling out more permanent retail locations.

Bodson previously revealed to FashionUnited that Bluebell is keen to open up a stand-alone store for ALEXACHUNG in Japan within a year, but that they preferred to wait and see how the brand progresses before opening up their own store. In addition, Alexa Chung aims to open her brand’s first store in London he added, ideally within the next few years.

However, ahead of ALEXCHUNG’s retail debut, the brand aims to boost its presence in other Asian markets, such as Taiwan and South Korea, where demand for the brand is increasing. Especially in Seoul, where the brand is sold via designer concept store Boon The Shop, which was also the location of the launch party of Alexa Chung’s new capsule collection with footwear label Superga.

ALEXACHUNG’s international expansion plans may seem a bit ambitious for the young brand, which officially launched last May. But considering the fact it already counts more than 100 stockists worldwide and online, a retail push is the logically next step.

Photos: Courtesy of ALEXACHUNG