Kat Maconie eyes Chinese expansion

UK footwear designer, Kat Maconie, has signed an agreement to further her eponymous label's expansion in Greater China.

Maconie inked a deal with Phoenicia International Trading Limited, a company which currently distributes and sells luxury European brands. The company will act as exclusive producer, distributor and seller of Kat Maconie products in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macau.

Phoenicia will sell the British footwear online, but also aims to open Kat Maconie boutiques in Chengdu, Shanghai and Beijing later this year, which will be followed by 10 additional store openings across the country next year said the designer in a statement.

David Carruthers, CEO of Phoenicia, said to WWD that he believes the younger designer is a “dynamic, hard working and creative young talent,” and added that he believes that the deal will be “a significant step forward for both partners.”

Maconie plans to further broaden her label's presence in Asia and the USA, and launch a handbag and accessories line in the near future. On Thursday, the British designer opened a pop-up shop in London’s Convent Garden, which carries Kat Maconie's SS14 bestsellers and older designs. The pop-up boutique is open until 14 June.