Kitson Bows in London, Dubai
Kitson is a fixture on Los Angeles’ stylish Robertson Boulevard, but its concept will be traveling to Harrods in London and to Dubai, said Fraser Ross, Kitson’s founder.
A Kitson mini-boutique will debut at Harrods sometime in early 2007. The 600-square-foot mini-boutique will offer Kitson’s licensed products such as T-shirts, jeans and footwear. Kitson attorney Glenn Feldman said that if the Harrods store is successful, Ross will consider opening a more-than-12,000-square-foot boutique in London. Feldman is the founding partner of Montreal-based firm Feldman Rolland.
Another Kitson store will open at the luxurious Mall of the Emirates in Dubai. Cartoon Fashions LTD., a Dubai-based firm, licensed the Kitson name in early September and will open a 3,000- square-foot boutique in 2007. Cartoon Fashions previously opened the Ed Hardy and French Connection UK boutiques in the Mall of Emirates.
Ross said that the Dubai store would offer the California casual fashions that made Kitson one of the high-profile names on Robertson Boulevard, but he’s not sure that every Kitson product will be understood. “The clothing will look the same,” Ross said. “The gadgets and the books that are hot in America might not translate well overseas.” —Andrew Asch
