Internationally recognised fashion brand Desigual, founded in Barcelona in 1984, has expanded its presence to South Africa with its first local store opening in Sandton City Shopping Centre.
Desigual’s new franchise covers an area of 180m2 and carries collections from the Woman, Accessories and Shoes categories. The brand has opted for a franchise format and is entering the SA market through local partner Marian Gaylard, a strategy that has proven successful in other regions, such as Latin America, and which Desigual is now following in Africa.
“The opening of this first store will allow us to test the acceptance of the brand with our sights firmly set on future openings in other locations like Cape Town, Pretoria and Durban,” says Desigual’s channels director Jordi Balsells.
Created with the aim of “dressing people, not bodies”, Desigual is known for the creative individuality and unique character of its creations. The collections are made up of bold and colourful garments that exude non-conformism, rebelliousness and optimism – essential traits of the Desigual DNA.
With its expansion into the South African market, Desigual says it is primarily targeting a consumer profile aged 25 to 45 “who likes daring, bold proposals and following trends, whilst remaining an individual. They are also seeking sophisticated and personalised in-store experiences,” the brand says in a statement.
Desigual has a presence in 92 countries with a network of close to 500 stores that operate through an omnichannel model. It currently has three branded stores in Egypt and one in Tunis. The company initially came to Africa with the opening of its store in Cairo, Egypt in 2010.
