G-Star Ups Denim Ante in California
Amsterdam-based G-Star Raw eventually plans to sell its premium denim in about 50 American stores bearing its name, and company representative Stuart Millar said California is proving to be an important market for the 17-year-old Dutch denim brand.
For example, a 2,500-square-foot G-Star Raw store opened April 9 at the Fashion Island shopping center in Newport Beach, Calif..
In September, an American franchisee, Swimming Horses, opened a G-Star store in San Francisco’s Union Square. A year earlier, it also opened a store on Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles.
And a separate franchisee reportedly will open another G-Star boutique in downtown San Diego within the next year.
Swimming Horses partner Jeremy Steenblik said his company, which has offices in Salt Lake City and Los Angeles, also was looking for sites in Portland, Ore.; Seattle; Dallas; and Austin, Texas.
“We’ll build stores where we find the right opportunity,” he said.The Fashion Island boutique is furnished with leather, steel and oak fixtures manufactured by G-Star and reflects a clean, minimalist aesthetic.
G-Star focuses on military and workwear looks. Currently, the breakdown of the boutiques’ wares is 70 percent for men and 30 percent for women. The label introduced G-Star by Marc Newson in 2004, but the fundamental pieces of the brand keep an easily identifiable look, which is one of the qualities that helped the company claim space in a highly competitive market, Millar said.
In other retail news, Fashion Island announced more leases with new fashion tenants. A Kate Spade boutique will open in May; a Juicy Couture store will open by August; American Rag and Charriol, a Swiss watch and accessories brand, will open in September; and a new American Eagle concept store, Martin + Osa, will open in the fall. —Andrew Asch
