In August 2012,Marimekko announced it would open three new company-owned stores this year in major cities on the East and West Coasts of the United States.Now the West Coast flagship store opens in Beverly Hills;Marimekko already has a flagship store on the East Coast,in New York.In Boston,Marimekko opened a store on prestigious Newbury Street in August and in Palo Alto in the heart of Silicon Valley at the end of October.Marimekko also has own store in Cambridge.
The Beverly Hills flagship store is in an excellent business location on the corner of Canon Drive and Brighton Way,neighbouring a number of popular restaurants and brand shops.The store has been put together on the same concept as was used earlier in the flagship stores in New York City and Helsinki as well as the one opened in Sydney just over a week ago.With its striking facade and 450 square metres of area,"Marimekko house"displays to the customers the world of Marimekko colours and patterns at their best.Adjoining the store facilities is a showroom serving the media,stylists,and current and potential distributors in the area.The address of the store is 370 North Canon Drive.
President and CEO Mika Ihamuotila:"I believe our Beverly Hills flagship store fits in well with this city,which is renowned for fashion,music and the entertainment industry,and its atmosphere which emphasises energy,colours and individuality.These are also important elements of the Marimekko brand.The locations of our stores are strategically extremely important to us,and with the opening today of our own'Marimekko house'we wish to build a recognition profile among people of influence in the entertainment and movie industry in particular.
"We now have six own stores in the United States,and our long-term aim is to make Marimekko one of the most fascinating fashion and design brands in this enormous market.This is an ambitious goal and achieving the position we're aiming for will take years.We are building the Marimekko brand and distribution network systematically,step by step on a firm basis.
"As part of this work,we attended the New York Fashion Week this autumn for the first time in Marimekko's history.The effort paid off,as the visibility gained by our fashion show exceeded our expectations many times over."
The Marimekko store which was opened at the end of October in Palo Alto in the heart of Silicon Valley is located close to perhaps the world's most interesting technology companies and private equity investors as well as Stanford University.The address of the store is Stanford Shopping Center,180 El Camino Real.Both new stores will play an important role in building up Marimekko's recognition and brand image in the United States.
