Hunter to open London flagship store

Lifestyle brand Hunter is set to open its first flagship store on London's Regent Street this Wednesday.

The 5,300 square foot store, which used to be a Ferrari shop, has been converted into a bucolic retail space by creative director Alasdhair Willis. He designed the store together with design consultancy Checkland Kindleysides. "Architecturally it didn't make sense to make a big, slick statement, so the starting point was a barn in the British countryside," Willis told Style.com.

The rural ambiance is fitting for the brand which is famous the world over for its stylish Wellington boots, which also serve to decorate the walls of the space. The store offers the full range of Hunter products, from ready-to-wear to outerwear and accessories.

Willis is particularly proud of developing the brand from a single product category to a complete lifestyle brand. "It's a fashion story, but it was born out of utilitarian and functional pieces." About the pending opening, he says: "In a lot of ways, this feels like the launch of the brand."

The British brand is ready for expansion. Hunter is planning to open a store in New York in 2015 and is currently also looking for retail spaces in Tokyo, Kong Kong and Canada.