Manolo Blahnik adds to Bluebell partnership for Hong Kong, opens new boutique

Manolo Blahnik Group has announced a key deal with major luxury brand operator Bluebell Group with the companies on Monday announcing a new joint venture to add to their existing JVs.

Bluebell is a major player in Asia and it will now work with Manolo Blahnik to grow the luxury footwear and accessories brand in Hong Kong.

The two firms have “successful partnerships” in other Asian markets that have operated since 2016, including Japan, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan. And Blahnik said this latest JV will further support its “wider strategic growth plans in the Asia Pacific region”.

It’s effective immediately and comes with a Manolo Blahnik boutique in the Lee Gardens shopping mall that opened on Friday. 

Also coming this year are two additional store openings, including a boutique in Pacific Place shopping centre scheduled for the final quarter of the year, with a further location to be announced.

So what about the Lee Gardens store? It was designed by Nick Leith-Smith Architecture and Design with “a geometric design as its focal point and a distinctive square panelled shelving system on the interior walls visible through a curved glass store front”.

It was inspired by a concept first used in the Manolo Blahnik boutique in London’s Burlington Arcade, but “has been updated with a vibrant twist of the orient through the addition of a silk colour gradient lining on the shelving where classic, seasonal, and exclusive product is on display”.

CEO Kristina Blahnik said the UK company is looking “to develop Manolo Blahnik’s presence in Hong Kong and consolidate our position in this dynamic market. Bluebell Group have been our established partner since 2016 and the mutual trust we have in each other has given us this wonderful new opportunity to enhance our offering in Hong Kong and tell the incredibly rich story of our heritage and craft”.