'The Society Shop', the Netherlands-based exclusive men’s wear brand, opened its first outlet outside Europe in Dubai, through a partnership with the Al Aqili Group.

'The Society Shop' has been serving the premium segment of men’s fashion in Western Europe since 1934. The shop concept features a formal portfolio of made-to-measure and ready-to-wear suits and jackets from well-known Italian weavers and fashion houses, along with semi-formal and casual wear from other  renowned European and North American brands.

“The Society Shop comes with an entirely new value proposition to the customer in premium men’s fashion. Each of The Society Shop offerings is unique, most of it is handmade and almost all of the merchandise is crafted from natural fabrics – cotton, wool, silk, cashmere, chinchilla. The store also has a special “limited edition fashion” brand – SOC13TY - across  a range of merchandise and this enables discerning customers both exclusivity and customisation,” said Abhay Nadkarni, executive director – Marketing & Commercial, Al Aqili Retail.

The first of “The Society Shop” outlets is in the Dubai Festival City spread over 3,000 square feet and offers a range of men’s fashion wear from men’s suits, jackets and outerwear (like coats),  to informal wear, handmade shoes and belts, luxurious ties, shirts, polos, bermudas, among others.

The portfolio includes brands and fabrics from famous Italian houses such as Corneliani, Zegna, Scuderi, Loro Piana and Lorenzini.  Luxurious hand-made 3-fold and 7-fold silk ties, Allegri coats from France, handmade Allegro shoes from Italy, the contemporary range of casual wear from Project E of the USA and the unique and innovative range of Vibram’s five finger technology footwear, are some of the special features of “The Society Shop”.

The super luxury range of hand-crafted on-board luggage and briefcases from Henk rounds off a truly exclusive range of merchandise from The Society Shop.

“While “The Society Shop” brand is at the forefront of European formal fashion and style, what makes the brand unique, is the degree of innovation that it brings to the discerning consumer. The brand presents many innovations – in fabric, in cut, in styling and design, in unique features in functionality and comfort – and boasts of 13 sartorial secrets in personal tailoring, that differentiate them from other men’s formal wear brands from Europe,” added Steve Lee, executive director – operations.

Earlier last year, Al Aqili had acquired the regional franchise of Laura Ashley, the popular UK-based brand with 50 years of heritage in apparels and home furnishings.-TradeArabia News Service