Italian fashion brand opens new store in Glorietta mall

TWO years after opening their first store in the Philippines in Cebu, Liu Jo opened the Liu Jo Accessories at The Podium in Ortigas and recently inaugurated another Liu Jo store at the new Glorietta 2 Mall in Makati City.

The Italian fashion label is heading east as it steps up its international visibility and expands its fashionable line of clothes, shoes and accessories with new shops across the continent. This strategic move by the company founded in the knitwear district of Capri, Italy in the mid-80s, is aligned with the ongoing trend in the region which has seen Asians’ spending power soar and the popularity of European brands rise steadily.

“Liu Jo is quickly building a solid base of loyal customers who are highly fashion-forward,” said Fernando Fornaciari, managing director of Liu Jo Asia-Pacific.

Fornaciari, who is based in China, was in Manila recently to oversee the opening of the brand’s Glorietta branch.

“They love to spend time in the stores, growing more familiar with the moods and inspiration of Liu Jo products,” he said.

Much of the success of Liu Jo in the global arena can be linked to its universal appeal “targeting fashionable women looking for an outfit that will be suitable in everyday life, with time spent in the office and then straight out for a drink or a dinner with colleagues or friends.”

The company now has almost 250 mono-brand stores and 5200 multi-brand stores spread out in 35 countries across Europe, Africa and Asia.

Liu Jo also maintains a team of designers “to keep its collection fresh, relevant and still on trend without being too trendy.”

“We don’t have one top designer but a team of excellent designers. They are fortunate to live in an amazing country full of artistic cities and inspiration,” said Marco Marchi, the other half of the Marchi brothers who founded the Liu Jo brand.

Marchi visited the Philippines last year and was impressed with the market’s reception of the brand and the Filipinos’ openness to new labels and their sense of style.

Fornaciari said he always had a personal fondness for the Philippines where he worked as a business development manager for an Italian fashion house in the late 80s.

“Sometime between 1989 and today, the country has lunged forward with signs of economic progress. Investments are pouring in, tourism is booming and a lot of foreign establishments opening branches in the Philippines,” he explains.

Fornaciari said Liu Jo is one of the few Italian companies that immediately saw the country’s great potential.

“We strongly believe that the situation is changing and soon more foreign companies will target this country for their investments,” he said.

Fornaciari said the country has “a culture that embraces the best of the East and the West” and he is optimistic Filipinos will welcome Liu Jo.

“Liu Jo’s Glorietta location perfectly mirrors the brand’s image and positioning in the affordable luxury market, and presents the brand the opportunity to strengthen its visibility given the consumer traffic in the mall,” the company said in a pres statement.

Fornaciari said Liu Jo is working to fill the gap in the local retail industry which offers shoppers limited options for Italian brands at popular prices.

The brand also takes its cue from women who love to match their outfits with fashion accessories, giving them significant leverage in the market. (PR)