Manolo Blahnik this week marked a milestone and began trading in China, opening its first store in Shanghai.
As reported, the company has established a wholly foreign-owned enterprise (WFOE) in China, where it recently secured the rights to use its brand name after more than two decades of legal wrangling.
In 2022, after a 22-year legal battle, the Supreme People’s Court of China, the highest court in the country, ordered the invalidation of an unlawful Manolo Blahnik trademark that had been registered by a local businessman in 2000.
In an interview, chief executive officer Kristina Blahink described the Shanghai opening as “very emotional, for so many different reasons. It’s been a long time coming. We’ve listened and learned about the market and it’s now become a reality.”
Blahnik, who worked as an architect before joining the family firm, also designed the store herself — it was the first time in 15 years that she went back to the drafting board.
She described the store location as “unique,” and said it was a “quiet space” with dynamic displays for the shoes and accessories, and furniture and elements by local Chinese craftspeople. “There is a multitude of color and a mix of Chinese craft and our design,” she said.
Kristina Blahnik and a Plaza 66 representative at the boutique opening.
Courtesy
The retail location is situated at the basement level of the Plaza 66 luxury shopping mall, which was previously an Alexander McQueen pop-up. The store, which is divided by the atrium escalator, is one of the most visible spots within the mall.
To fete the store launch, Manolo Blahnik launched a limited-edition style that was inspired by the winter jasmine often found in Yu Garden, a local historical attraction.
A birds-eye view of the store.
Courtesy
Asked about the slowdown in luxury in China, Blahnik said the brand was coming at the market from a new angle. “We’ve never sold in China before, but our customers travel the world, and there is brand awareness” thanks partly to social media.
She also believes that while it’s a “cyclical moment” for luxury globally, “it’s always the right time for storytelling, and we’ve waited so long to tell our story in China.”
She added that the move into China “is not about huge commercial success, but about telling the right stories” and getting the right products into the market.
Blahnik said the focus of the store opening would be on storytelling and hosting small, curated events for customers in order to “convey the ideas behind the collection, the construction of the shoes, and all the things that makes us who we are. We’re really telling this story from the heart — and so grateful to be able to tell it.”
On Thursday evening, Manolo Blahnik hosted an intimate dinner at Yong Foo Elite; guests included the Chinese actor Oho Ou and Plaza 66’s VIP clientele.
As reported, the company has also been making moves in Hong Kong. Earlier this year Manolo Blahnik formed a joint venture with Bluebell Group to open a string of stores in the region.
The first boutique opened in Hong Kong’s Lee Gardens shopping center on March 22, while a second one is set for Pacific Place shopping center in the final quarter of 2024. A third store is also in the works, with the location to be confirmed.
Manolo Blahnik and Bluebell have existing partnerships in other Asian markets such as Japan, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan.
While Asia may be top of the agenda, the company also has plans to expand in other markets. In early 2025 it will open flagships in the Miami Design District and Milan, two cities where it does not currently have direct retail.
