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A huge crowd gathers for the opening of Louis Vuitton’s newest Japanese store at DFS Galleria |
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Yves Carcelle, President LVMH Fashion Group, fields reporters’ questions at the official opening |
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Reason to smile: The Okinawa store is Louis Vuitton’s 50th store in Japan, said Yves Carcelle: “There are four million mainlanders visiting Okinawa every year – I thought the island was deserving of a Louis Vuitton store.” |
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DFS Chairman Ed Brennan with the Vice-Governor of Okinawa and members of the popular Japanese all-girl band “˜Max’ cut the ribbon at the Louis Vuitton opening |
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Security holds expectant shoppers back as the opening approaches |
JAPAN. Louis Vuitton today opened its latest – and 50th – Japanese store at the heart of DFS Galleria Okinawa, which enjoyed its official opening this evening.
A huge crowd of expectant onlookers, shoppers and media gathered this afternoon outside the Vuitton store during the official ribbon-cutting ceremony. On hand was LVMH President Fashion Group Yves Carcelle, accompanied by DFS Group Chairman Ed Brennan, the Vice-Governor of Okinawa and famous Japanese all-girl pop group Max.
The opening was followed by a celebratory luncheon in a spectacular coastal setting at the Busena Terrace in Okinawa. Carcelle told guests: “There are four million mainlanders visiting Okinawa every year – I thought the island was deserving of a Louis Vuitton store.
“DFS arrived with a fantastic project to build the first luxury retail environment here. That gave us the opportunity to open our 50th store in Japan – a very symbolic number.”
The Louis Vuitton store is one of several top brands in the extraordinary central boutique area that dominates the new DFS Galleria Okinawa. Others include Tiffany, Montblanc, Bulgari, Cartier, Chopard, Burberry, Tods, Celine, Fendi, Salvatore Ferragamo, Dior and Prada.
Ed Brennan told The Moodie Report that he was proud of the Vuitton boutique and the Galleria as a whole, considered by the DFS team to have created a new retailing benchmark. “I’m very pleased and very proud of our team who have been working on this project for years.”
DFS Galleria Okinawa serves Japanese shoppers returning to the mainland at duty free prices (although Vuitton is duty paid). A dispensation giving the store duty free status was granted under a Law on Special Measures for the Promotion and Development of Okinawa.
A report on the spectacular official opening of DFS Galleria Okinawa, attended by over 500 guests this evening, will follow soon.
MORE STORIES ON DFS OKINAWA
DFS opens Japan’s first “˜domestic’ duty free shop in Okinawa – 15/12/04
Work begins on spectacular DFS facility on Okinawa -01/01/04
