Retail Therapy
Fashion lovers rejoice! Prada is headed to Houston
Miuccia Prada at the 2011 Ready-to-Wear Spring/Summer Fashion Show last fall
Great news for Houston's fashion faithful: Prada is headed to the Galleria.
The Italian luxury retailer known for killer handbags and fashion-forward styles designed by Miuccia Prada plans to open a store near Max Mara in the fall (with a target date of October or November).
Prada is also opening a separate store for its offshoot line, Miu Miu this summer in the Galleria. Sometimes described as "Prada's little sister" in the fashion press, it features more whimsical, younger-skewing clothing and accessories for the fashion-centric shopper.
To differentiate itself from the Prada brand, Miu Miu moved its shows to Paris from Milan a few seasons ago. Prada continues to showcase its spring and fall collections in Milan.
Prada officials chose Houston over Dallas for its first stores in Texas. It is part of the company's expansion plans to boost its presence in regional malls in North America, according to news reports.
(Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue and other Houston stores already carry a wide selection of Prada, but a stand-alone store offers selections not always found elsewhere. In the Galleria, Chanel, St. John, Yves Saint Laurent, Bottega Veneta and Giorgio Armani are among top designers with stand-alone stores.)
Other happenings on The Galleria’s "million dollar mile" (the stretch of luxury retailers lining the ice rink in Galleria I): Omega plans to open its first Houston store in mid-summer, featuring a large collection of watches, jewelery and small accessories. It will be next door to Jimmy Choo, which is undergoing a monh-long makeover starting May 1.
The Michael Kors Lifestyle store is also sprucing up and expanding, with plans to be completed by late spring.
The Galleria isn’t the only mall getting a fresh face. Katy Mills Mall is adding Aldo accessories and shoes to the shopping mix in the spring. Aldo is located in neighborhood six of the mall near the Charlotte Russe outlet.
A staircase in Gucci's signature Rosso Ancora leads shoppers to the second floor. Photo by Pablo Enriquez for Gucci
Houston Galleria will be one of the first boutiques to open with Gucci’s latest store window concept, Endless Narratives.Photo by Pablo Enriquez for Gucci
