Who owns harvey nichols dubai

I n the middle of a fashion shoot in the early s, Mary Portas overheard a phone call that piqued her curiosity. Portas, then the creative director at Harvey Nichols, sidled up to designer Betty Jackson after she had hung up her call to Jennifer Saunders and inquired what the actress was working on. Learning that Saunders was filming a new TV comedy with fashion at its heart, Portas demanded an introduction.

It proved a fruitful move. The Knightsbridge department store became synonymous with Edina and Patsy, the chaotic, champagne-swilling stars of Absolutely Fabulous. So much so that, when the second store opened in in Leeds, it drew hordes of shoppers. In , the existing space was demolished to make way for a new, purpose-built department store. The building, as we know it today, was designed by CQ Stephens and built in stages between and In , the location underwent a change of address to become - Knightsbridge.

By the s, Harvey Nichols was a driving force in the introduction of mixed collections, encouraging the likes of Max Mara and Nicole Farhi to design a variety of pieces, rather than focusing on a single department - as was the norm.

Princess Diana was a regular client and would reserve a spot at the back of the restaurant. In , Harvey Nichols was bought by the Burton Group. Subsequently, the store underwent a transformative refurbishment. This concept proved immensely popular, earning Harvey Nichols a lasting reputation for fashionable fine dining and a Champagne lifestyle.

In , a national expansion began with the launch of Harvey Nichols Leeds, followed by the first international store in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in Harvey Nichols has already announced plans to open a 60,square-foot store in Hong Kong in the second half of , at The Landmark, a luxury retail destination. Dubai is becoming a hotbed for upscale retailers. Saks Fifth Avenue plans to open a licensed store there and, as reported, the seven-month-old Villa Moda store there is running 45 percent ahead of plan, outperforming its Kuwait flagship.

He described Al-Tayer as a successful retailer, a resident of Dubai, who operates multibrand boutiques, auto dealerships and other businesses in addition to the designer shops. He also has a buying organization. Last year, Charles M.