Long relegated to shopping centers in Manhasset and Houston, CH by Carolina Herrerra will land a place among the heavy-hitters on Madison Avenue when its massive flagship opens next year.
Herrera has long been a symbol of perfection and sophistication in an industry that continues to blur the lines between fashion and retail, high-end wear and fast fashion. So it makes a serious statement that Herrera would open her lower-priced line -- which offers the same upscale jet-set style as her main collection, though with less "luxe" price tags -- only blocks away from her main flagship, also on Madison Avenue. The designer even emphasized the point when she spoke to WWD, saying, "“CH Carolina Herrera ... will be on the same street as my Carolina Herrera New York boutique -- Madison Avenue ... It is my favorite street in New York and the perfect place to be."
Essentially, this launch seems to herald more upscale designers bringing their lower-priced offshoots even more into the fold (i.e. Madison Avenue). As Santiago Lamiero told WWD, the label wanted the first freestanding location for CH Carolina Herrera to be in Manhattan to really launch the brand right, then the brand plans to open 25 stores worldwide in 2010, including locations in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Chicago.
The CH by Carolina Herrera flagship will open in May or June of 2010 at 802 Madison Avenue.
