Coach has arrived

Coach has arrived

LUXURY accessories brand, Coach, celebrated the opening of its first Penang outlet in 1st Avenue Mall with a gala showcase of its latest pieces in a separate After Party at Suffolk House in Air Itam.

The glittering runway show highlighted the preppy-punk and bright aesthetics of the Spring 2011 Poppy Collection, the brand’s witty take on a classic spring theme.

Characterised by nautical looks, the line of exquisite handbags, accessories, jewellery, shoes and wearables lightens and brightens one up for warmer weather.

The crowd of several hundred invited guests present at the showcase also got a glimpse of the Spring 2011 Women’s and Men’s Collections — each epitomising Coach’s unique, desirable and timeless American styles.

While the former is inspired by the 70-year-old brand’s New York heritage and imbued with the modern New Yorker spirit, the latter builds on its renowned premium leather craftsmanship, combining traditional hand-finishing with modern sensibilities for an aura of cool masculinity.

Earlier that day, Coach officially opened its new, 220sqm (2,374sq ft) store — the first in the state – at the ground floor of the shopping mall in George Town, carrying the full range of its products.

Speaking du-ring the ce-remony, regional general manager Deepak Sharma said the store epitomised the brand’s new “loft” look, which incorporated high-gloss lacquer fixtures accented with polished stainless steel and mirrors, on white marble flooring.

Accessibility is what sets the brand apart, he said, for at Coach stores, customers were encouraged to come in, pick up their products, try it on and get a feel of it.

“Coach is also the only luxury brand that showcases new products every month. On the first day of each month, you’ll find that almost a third of our products are from a brand new collection.

“Our customers have always enjoyed visiting our stores, for there’s always something new for them,” he added.

According to Ashvin J. Valiram, executive director of the Valiram Group, which manages the Coach brand here, sales had far exceeded expectations since the store started business on Feb 9, and they were quite bullish about the future.

“We’re extremely proud and excited to bring Coach to Penang. We’ve seen Penangites shopping in our stores in Kuala Lumpur and it’s nice to be able to finally come to you instead,” said Valiram, who was joined by Belleview Group director Datuk Sonny Ho in the ribbon-cutting ceremony last Thursday.

The latest Coach outlet is the eighth in Malaysia, and definitely not the last. Another is set to open in the third quarter of this year at another shopping mall.

-News courtesy of The Star-