The first franchise of Galeries Lafayette will open on May 18, 2009 in Dubai at the Dubai Mall, the largest mall in the world.

The opening will take place in two phases. Fashion and home collection floors will be inaugurated first with the arrival of numerous international brands.  The grand opening, scheduled for the end of September, will mark the launch of Lafayette Gourmet and the restaurant, and coincide with the end of Ramadan.

Thanks to the store’s architecture, offering and merchandise, its 20,000 m2 gross leasable area of shopping space are destined to become the place to be in the region. Showcasing fashion in constant evolution, the store will become a place of innovation bringing together all of the latest concepts and trends.

The store, which in the final stages will boast three floors, targets a clientele who is not just trendy and demanding, but also very diverse, with 15% being nationals and 85% being expatriates from all nationalities. Aside from fashion that marries luxury to accessibility, you’ll be able to find the very latest trends in interior design. At the heart of a completely new Lafayette Gourmet, high-end food products and cuisine await international customers, tempting them to discover and savour dishes from the world over. The Red Box, which happens to be the symbol of the store, will comprise a modern restaurant serving refined French cuisine.

The store is meant to bring to the inhabitants of Dubai as well as to millions of regional and international tourists a vision of French style through fashion that is alive, innovative and cheeky.

© 2009 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)