STELLA MCCARTNEY TO OPEN IN DUBAI, EXPANDS IN THE MIDDLE EAST REGION

LONDON, FEBRUARY 4, 2009. Stella McCartney continues its expansion in the Middle East region with the opening of the first store in Dubai, which follows the stores recently opened in Bahrain and Kuwait. A location in Qatar will follow in two weeks, while Jeddah and Riyadh are due to open later this spring, totalling six stores in the Middle East by the middle of 2009.
 
Stella McCartney’s presence in the Middle East first started in 2003 with Villa Moda, Kuwait. Further growth in the region was developed with key wholesale accounts such as Harvey Nichols, Riyadh and Al Rubaiyat, Jeddah. The first freestanding store in the Middle East opened in June 2008 in Bahrain’s Moda Mall under a franchise agreement between Stella McCartney Limited and Almana, soon followed by a location in Kuwait’s Al Thuraya Mall in January 2009 with Al Ostoura Intl. Company as franchisee. The store in Qatar opening at the Pearl, the country’s first international urban development venture, later this month will be the second store to open under the arrangements with Almana.    
 
The Dubai store is located in currently the world’s largest mall, the Dubai Mall which opened in December 2008. The Dubai store is the first of three freestanding stores under Stella McCartney Limited’s franchise arrangements with Al Tayer along with the upcoming stores opening in Jeddah’s Stars Avenue Mall and Riyadh’s Centria Mall.
 
The 148 square meter Dubai store design mirrors the most recent Stella McCartney store concept. Simple material combinations, including maple wood, brass and marble are sculpturally contrasted with a unique play on spacing used to illustrate Stella’s signature style combination of sharpness and femininity. The store reflects an intimate, personal and architectural atmosphere housing Stella McCartney’s ready-to-wear, accessory and lingerie collections.
 
About Stella McCartney
Stella McCartney launched her own fashion house under her name in 2001 in a  joint venture with Gucci Group. A lifelong vegetarian, Stella McCartney does not use any leather or fur in her designs. The brand’s luxury   women’s   ready-to-wear,   shoes, bags, fragrances, eyewear, accessories, organic skin care ranges and performance range with adidas are also available through its 11 other flagship stores including London, NY, Los Angeles, Shanghai, Tokyo, Beijing, Hong Kong and Paris as well around 600 wholesale accounts in key cities worldwide.