Vegan footwear brand Koi opens debut store

Vegan and unisex footwear brand Koi has opened its first flagship store in Manchester’s Trafford Centre.

The 990-square-foot store is located on the first floor of the Trafford Centre, opposite Zara. It features a curated edit of Koi’s latest product offering, which draws inspiration from grunge, punk and emo subcultures.

Commenting on the opening, Koi owner and founder Uzair Ahmad, said in a statement: “Pristine marble floors, ceilings that go up to the heavens and iconic brand names were all the things I noticed when I used to walk through The Trafford Centre as a kid.

“To have the opportunity to have Koi alongside them is a dream come true. We’re excited to be offering a store ahead of Christmas where customers can visually see the quality and originality of our product.”

Bruce Gardner, brand experience director at the Trafford Centre, added: “Following the recent Zavvi and Lookfantastic pop ups, this is yet another digitally native store debut for Trafford. We are delighted to welcome Koi footwear which will offer something truly unique, and given their huge following and irreverent brand, it will be massively popular with the Trafford consumer.”

Koi, established in 2016, sells its collections via its own online store, as well as being stocked on Asos, Urban Outfitters, Zalando, Dolls Kill, Zumiez, and Hot Topic.