Highland dress maker opens Chinese store

City Editor

Wednesday 3 October 2012

SCOTTISH Highland dress maker Kinloch Anderson is setting up shop in Guangzhou as part of its expansion into the burgeoning Chinese market.

WILD SIDE: Designer Kirsty Franey helped unveil Kinloch Anderson's panda-inspired tartan. Picture: PA

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TIM SHARP CITY EDITOR

The family-owned firm is also preparing to open an outlet in Brooks Brothers' New York department store on Madison Avenue and is considering additional opportunities in the US.

Kinloch Anderson has long had a presence in the Far East, selling high-end menswear items such as suits (rather than the tartan garb it is known for at home) in Japan, South Korea and Taiwan.

Peter Kinloch Anderson, who with brother John, the company's chief executive, is a member of the sixth generation of the founding family, has been searching for the right site on the Chinese mainland since the new year.Kinloch Anderson has settled on a store in a shopping centre in Guangzhou, a fast-growing city north of Hong Kong. Set alongside top-end designer fashion stores, it will open in the first week of November.Douglas Kinloch Anderson, the Edinburgh-based company's chairman, told The Herald: "We wanted to be on the first tier where all the luxury brands are. Doing that in Shanghai and Beijing is less easy because it is so competitive."We have achieved that in Guangzhou so there is more chance of getting the same level in other places."He said it was important to pitch the first store at the right part of the market."We are looking at this as a medium to long-term plan. It is easy enough for your brand to go off on the wrong foot."We are not pretending to claim we are an international brand that everyone recognises and we have to build our brand in steps from there."Mr Kinloch Anderson said the firm is in discussions over another "five or six" other premises in the country. "Hopefully by early next year we should have several shops," he added.The Guangzhou store will focus on menswear. Most of the items in the stores will be produced in China but some items, such as cashmere scarves, are likely to be imported from Scotland.Earlier this year, Kinloch Anderson unveiled an Edinburgh Zoo panda tartan, to mark the arrival of Tian Tian and Yang Guang to Scotland.Mr Kinloch Anderson said the company is to open its New York store at the end of the month, to coincide with a Scottish Week in the city."If that works well we will look at setting up a permanent store," he said.The Madison Avenue outlet will focus on Highland dress."Hopefully if that works well we can go into some of [Brooks Brothers'] other major stores," Mr Kinloch Anderson said.Meanwhile the company is also planning to offer a revamped range of Kinloch Anderson branded whisky.The company, which has a tie-up with Ian Macleod Distillers of Broxburn, has successfully sold a range including a blended whisky and a 12-year-old single malt to customers.It now plans to offer a 25-year-old blend and a 30-year-old single malt."It fits in with the image we are giving the best of Scotland," Mr Kinloch Anderson said.

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Highland dress maker opens Chinese store

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