American lifestyle multi-brand retail concept American Rag Cie is crossing the oceans to land in Dubai come September 2018.
The brand, an institution and mainstay of laid-back California fashion and culture, is inaugurating a flagship 768 m2 store in the Dubai Mall – Dubai’s most fashionable destination – in the atrium above the Armani Café and a plethora of luxury brands. The brand’s Dubai debut is partnership with AW Rostamani Lifestyle, exclusive licensee for the MENA region.
American Rag Cie promises to challenge pre-ordained concepts of fashion by delivering a vast variety of the hottest fashions from across the world’s catwalks. Globally renowned brands Levis, New Balance and Puma are part of the mix along with a multitude of the latest on trend super cool brands including Daniel Patrick, Amongst Few and Blood Brother just to name a few. The store will feature in excess of 400 brands at any one time.
The store goes beyond retail to deliver a lifestyle experience. Not only does it offer the Middle East’s largest denim bar and bring to town exclusive brands, but serves as a hub of artistic collaboration. American Rag Cie in Dubai is partnering with renowned designers and exclusive resellers while also sparking music collaborations with artists to create the right ambience. Brands such as Mambo Brothers, Jon Koon, Fossil, Pagoda, Denham, Above Coffees are already on board, and the roster is continuously expanding as the team add to the theatrical experience.
An in-store concept, World Coffee Bar delivers a variety of unique blended coffees carefully sourced form around the world. Every month, a rotating pick of single origin coffees complements the menu to delight the palettes of Dubai’s speciality coffee lovers. The signature house recipes will include cold shakes, health shots and a food menu with gluten-free and organic entrees.
American Rag presents retail and lifestyle with a technological twist. Customers will be served in-store by robot assistants. AI and machine learning will create an enhanced service proposition so American Rag can track apparel availability in real time anywhere in the world, and source it for their customers.
“Our aim is to create a retail and lifestyle experience with a twist – by taking a winning formula and fusing it with technology to offer something unique. Dubai is home to one of the world’s most fashion-forward and culturally aware audiences who will enjoy what American Rag Cie offers. There’s nothing like it in the region. What will really set the store apart is that we are aiming to create a store community, something more than just retailing clothes and accessories and a pleasant customer experience. From live music performances, gaming competitions, collaborations with local and global designers and a dynamic social media platform with its own TV Station, we are aiming to set a new standard for customer expectations. If we have something in our business anywhere we will get it for you, if we don’t, still ask and we will do our utmost to get it for you. We believe in Never Say No and want to build customer engagement long term not just a purely transactional relationship.” said Greig Fowler CEO of AW Rostamani Lifestyle.
Exuberant owner and entrepreneur Mark Werts is the driving force behind a brand that first sparked into life with a few containers of vintage clothing sourced from the from French port of Marseille back in 1984. Since, the brand has marched from strength to strength, with Werts establishing his credentials as a trendsetting visionary. He is still personally involved with sourcing for the brand and criss-crosses the globe with his buying team to find unique and exclusive merchandise for American Rag.
American Rag has grown into a global fashion icon with its own e-commerce platform, regularly awarded for being one of the must visit stores in the United States. The brand has a strong presence in Japan, China and South East Asia, and has flagship stores in key cities within the US as well as more than 900 Macy’s department stores Shop in Shop’s with its own hugely successful own label range.
