Harry Wang, CEO, Shiatzy Chen : 'We are the only Asian brand with a flagship on Avenue Montaigne'

Written by: Poppy Skinner Created: 05 October 2017

Monday, October 2, sees fashion house Shiatzy Chen open a new flagship store at 8 Avenue Montaigne in the French capital's prestigious Golden Triangle, just a few hours before the label presents its spring/summer 2018 collection. Ahead of the big day, Relaxnews asked Shiatzy Chen CEO, Harry Wang, about the importance of this new location, and the growth of the brand on European and global scales.

Relaxnews: What does the opening of this second Paris location mean for Shiatzy Chen?
Harry Wang: Europe is the center of luxury industry. Shiatzy Chen opened the first store on Saint Honore in Paris in 2001, and we're now launching an Avenue Montaigne boutique. In addition to Paris, by establishing our presence in Europe, we are excited to introduce our brand and unique design to customers worldwide. Shiatzy Chen is officially becoming a truly global brand, by setting foot in the heart of the luxury industry.

Relaxnews: Why avenue Montaigne and not the Champs-Elysées, for example?
Harry Wang: Avenue Montaigne is for high-end fashion, and it's the fanciest shopping avenue of Paris. While the shops on the Champs-Elysées are mostly mainstream fashion brand stores, Avenue Montaigne retains its dedication to luxury. We are the only Asian brand having a flagship boutique on Avenue Montaigne. This marks an important milestone for the industry.

Relaxnews: Are there any other French or European locations in the pipeline?
Harry Wang: In addition to Paris, we will soon have our boutiques in London and Milan and other major cities in Europe.

Relaxnews: Tell us a bit about the design and ambiance of the new boutique.
Harry Wang : We would like to create an aura of East meets West with a touch of modern chic. We hope that it's an immersive environment for our customers. The store embodies the passage between past traditions and heritage through to youth, modernity and luxury, as a physical representation of the brand's philosophy: "The poetry of passing time."

Relaxnews: How is the opening of this location different from your other boutiques?
Harry Wang: Avenue Montaigne is the iconic luxury fashion avenue of Paris and the other store, the first one we opened in Paris in 2001, is located on Saint Honore. In contrast in Asia, we have opened boutiques in department stores and high-end shopping malls. We also have boutiques in Peninsula shopping arcades, such as Peninsula Hong Kong, Shanghai and Tokyo.

Relaxnews: Can we expect new boutiques to follow in other prestigious shopping districts around the world, such as in New York or London?
Harry Wang: In the coming years, China, Japan, and South East Asia will still be our focus of expansion. Moving forward, we are also looking to establish a presence in the US and Europe.

Relaxnews: Shiatzy Chen turns 40 next year. Should we expect any changes in terms of creative direction or brand development?
Harry Wang: Shiatzy Chen aims to create a contemporary style from the fusion of East and West. We do adapt our collection for the international market, to attract younger, dynamic customers, while at the same time keeping our core spirit of East meets West.

Article taken from cp/cm - Relaxnews

Written by: Poppy Skinner

Poppy covers a wide range of topics at Billionaire, having spent the past 13 years at companies including Singapore Tatler, Her World Plus and Harpers Bazaar UK. She has a passion for fashion, jewellery and travel as well as an avaricious fascination with crime novels. Follow her at poppypskinner on Instagram.