Celine to open men's standalone stores

French luxury house Celine is to open dedicated men's only boutiques to coincide with the spring summer 19 launch of its first-ever men's collection.

The first men's boutique will open in Paris' 1st district on rue François, followed by Milan on via Santo Spirito.

The launch of men's wear is one of Celine's key priorities to expand the brand, according to CEO Séverine Merle, who told the Financial Times "the men's line will be a vehicle for Celine's growth, even if the business will remain focused on women's offer".

According to the FT, the first re-designed store under creative director Hedi Slimane will be unveiled in mid-February. “The strategy for men’s and women’s is to have the most controlled distribution for reasons of image and clientele,” says Merle. “We are focusing on our own distribution network, and we will concentrate our wholesale distribution in a very selective way as a complement.”

Photo credit: Celine website