Courtesy of Maison Assouline.
While bricks-and-mortar stores are vying to stay relevant in today’s digital era, such is not the case in the UAE, where we’re spoiled with a consistent stream of new flagship openings. Below are the ones we’re most excited about for the rest of 2018 and beyond.
Assouline
Renowned for its collectible coffee table books on subjects that range from fashion, design, art, and travel, Maison Assouline is opening a breathtaking new space in The Dubai Mall. The new library-cum-café, which is the brand’s second store globally, will be situated in the newly opened Fashion Avenue extension, next to Dior, Chanel, and Fendi. Featuring hundreds of hardcovers and tomes displayed on massive floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, centuries-old library tables, vintage decor (including an old jewelry box from the 1950s film Sunset Boulevard), and a stylish eatery, Maison Assouline’s UAE outpost is shaping up to be so more than just a book store.
Maria Tash
Following a few pop-ups here and there, Maria Tash is finally coming to the UAE. The celebrity-beloved jeweler has revealed plans to open up a permanent space in the The Dubai Mall. When it opens its doors in the Fashion Avenue this month, the new boutique will be the brand’s second-ever freestanding store, joining the existing New York standalone flagship. The Maria Tash Dubai store is set to feature four custom piercing rooms and a VIP lounge, as well as a wide selection of the designer’s dainty fine jewelry favored by the likes of Rihanna and Katy Perry.
United Nude
A footwear brand founded by architect Rem D Koolhaas and Galahad Clark, the seventh-generation English shoemaker whose family owns the Clark’s brand, United Nude is set to open its first Middle Eastern boutique this month. The flagship will live in the second floor of The Dubai Mall’s Fashion Avenue. It will join the growing list of United Nude outposts currently operating in Amsterdam, Los Angeles, Tokyo, Moscow, Vienna, and Beijing, among many others.
OVS
OVS will be bringing its fresh Italian sensibility to the Emirates when it opens its first Middle Eastern flagship in Abu Dhabi‘s Yas Mall this month. Comprising authentic and affordable Italian style, OVS has been a go-to shopping destination for Italian men, women, and children for nearly half a century. Today it boasts than 1,300 stores around the world — and counting.
Urban Outfitters
It’s the moment we’ve all been waiting for: Urban Outfitters is finally coming to the UAE, meaning you no longer need to pay extortionate shipping fees to get your hands on the store’s expertly curated mix of apparel, vintage designs, accessories, and beauty products. The edgy shopping platform has recently partnered up with lifestyle retail group Azadea with the aim of bolstering its presence in the Middle East. Right now, details on when the store’s ribbon will be cut are still under wraps, however, we do know that the first outpost is scheduled to open in Dubai in 2019. The countdown is on.
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