New Tommy Bahama Division to Open at Fashion Island
Indigo Palms, the new denim division of New York– and Seattle-based Tommy Bahama, will open its first store at Fashion Island on Nov. 1 in Newport Beach, Calif.
The 2,000-square-foot store will feature the Indigo Palms label, which consists of denim and related sportswear for men and women, and Island Soft, a men’s line featuring sportswear in cashmere, silk, linen and suede. The Indigo Palms men’s line has been featured in Tommy Bahama retail stores for the past several seasons. The women’s line will debut its Spring 2004 collection at the new retail store and at select specialty stores nationwide.
The company chose to launch the first Indigo Palms retail boutique in Newport Beach in large part because of the success of the affluent community’s existing Tommy Bahama store. “It’s a casual part of the country but with an upscale consumer base,” said Don Kerkes, director of Indigo Palms.
Currently, the company has no firm plans for a second store.
“As a company, we believe in the crawlwalk- run philosophy,” said Kerkes. “We don’t like to get ahead of ourselves.”
Tommy Bahama will increase its retail fleet to 35 stores by the end of 2003. Tommy Bahama stores average $700 per square foot in sales. —Christian M. Chensvold
