Parisian retail area set to focus on ‘creative, edgy and incubator’ brands

David Sylvester

Sands Retail’s new integrated resort, The Parisian Macao, is set to open in late 2015, and tenancy commitments for the new property have reached 85 percent of its retail area, according to the casino operator. In an interview with the Times, Las Vegas Sands Corp. Senior Vice President of Retail, Mr David Sylvester, said the idea behind The Parisian Macao “was to tie in with the Paris theme and bring new and creative brands, that would attract a customer who’s a bit more style savvy.”
French fashion house Isabel Marant, French designer Sonia Rykiel, Belgian fashion designer Martin Margiela, and cosmetics store Temptation are some of the brands already confirmed for integration into the Parisian’s retail area.
“When you think about Paris, you think about creativity, innovation. [The Parisian] sits in a price point below The Four Seasons and above The Venetian; we call it premium. But the whole idea is that it’s more creative, bringing in brands like Isabel Marant, Carven and Sonia Rykiel,” David Sylvester added.
When building a new mall, he said, Sands Retail is not interested in bringing brands that are already available in other properties. David Sylvester said that their strategy for providing the market with new brands remains. Each mall is targeting a specific audience, with The Venetian Macao focusing on a more high-street approach, Sands Cotai Central paying greater attention to family-oriented products, while Shoppes at Four Seasons offers luxury products.
“We try to bring new brands into the market, to create a deeper range, which is obviously more appealing to more customers,” he added.
French house Maison Martin Margiela, which was founded in 1988 by Belgian designer Martin Margiela, is often seen as cross-section between fashion and ready-to-wear collections, also dubbed “avant-garde and experimental.”
“One of the key differentiators of the Maison Martin Margiela brand is that it’s often seen as experimental, but it’s still regarded as highly stylish,” said Patrick Fan, President of World First Holdings Ltd. in a statement. World-renowned designer John Galliano has recently joined Maison Martin Margiela as its creative director.
Cosmetics concept store, Temptation, will also be part of Shoppes at Parisian. Alessandra Piovesana, Regional Managing Director of The Nuance Group (HK) Ltd., which operates Temptation, said that opening their “concept store in a premium location popular for the millions of visitors it attracts each year was highly compelling.”
With “incubator brands and edgy items,” David Sylvester said this is a mall that is also looking to attract those who are truly into fashion.
“Some of the brands people may know from Hong Kong or China, but it’s a concentration of these like brands together that will be the attraction. It will have an appeal for middle class right up to the wealthy,” he added, recalling that Paris is one of mainland Chinese visitors’ prime destinations, making the Parisian “a special product.”
The Parisian Macao will add over 3,000 hotel rooms and “a wide range of food and beverages,” in addition to its 320,000 square foot shopping mall, housing over 150 boutiques. Shoppes at The Parisian Macao will be connected to the other Sands Retail malls via air-conditioned walkways.
“There’s a bridge connection that comes across Four Seasons. The idea was for all malls to be inter-connected, so the Four Seasons will connect into the Parisian too,” said David Sylvester.
Other brands confirmed to be joining Shoppes at the Parisian include Agent Provocateur, Marni, ASH, Red Lifestyle, André, Moschino Couture, Dirk Bikkembergs, Cerrutti Paris, Cosmo Paris, Minelli, Ba&sh, among others.