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– Designer details plans for two new Moscow stores –

(NEW YORK) Tom Ford is putting his money where his mouth is, announcing plans to open not one, but two, retail stores simultaneously in Moscow next September.

Speaking at the International Herald Tribune’s luxury business conference in the Russian capital, Ford, who resuscitated Gucci Group in the 1990s, is partnering with franchisee Mercury Group to expand his year-old retail venture–which currently maintains a sole store on Madison Avenue in Manhattan. His new stores will reside in Tretyakovsky Passage, one of Eastern Europe’s most luxurious shopping areas, and Barvikha Village, a newer and more modern shopping area. It’s no surprise that Ford has chosen the same two locales where Ralph Lauren debuted his two Russian flagships this past spring, given the designer’s affinity for the American fashion icon.

In addition to the trademark bespoke $5,000 suits, the Moscow Tom Ford shops will, as Ford has said, carry exclusive items for the local market. That means sable hats will be among the offerings, and according to the 46-year-old, “You should feel like you’re in Moscow,” he told Bloomberg News. “Russians are hardwired to appreciate the fine things in life. They have been denied nice things for years.”

Ford, who is president and chief executive officer of his company, will open his second directly operated store on Via Verri in Milan this summer as his retail expansion prepares to expand rapidly to other cities, including Beijing, Dubai, and Zurich.

Source: Fashionweekdaily.com