Whistles to expand into China

British fashion retailer Whistles is expanding into China after signing a partnership

deal with luxury department store Lane Crawford.

The contemporary womenswear brand will make its debut in Hong Kong and mainland China in August, with the opening of ‘shop-in-shop’ spaces within Lane Crawford’s department stores.

Three Lane Crawford stores in Hong Kong and the newly opened Shanghai store will carry a selection of Whistles’ premium range, the Limited Collection, which was showcased at the brand’s first London Fashion Week catwalk show, along with the brand’s best-selling leather, cashmere and silk pieces.

The move to expand into China is part of Whistles international expansion plan, earlier this year, the British retailer opened a concession in Berlin department store Ka De We, and the brand is also available in Printemps in Paris and Tsvetnoy Market in Russia. Other countries on the retailer’s target list include America, with reports suggesting that the brand is in talks with an American partner for a 2014 launch.

Whistles is the latest fashion brand to turn its attention to China, earlier this week Victoria Beckham was promoting her collection at Lane Crawford, and Chanel, Fendi and Moschino have all staged catwalk shows here, while Topshop has just opened its first store in Hong Kong.