Kate Spade to open a new store in Paris

The American womenswear brand Kate Spade New York has just announced plans to open its first store in the French capital.

The move, first reported in WWD, comes as part of the brand's European expansion and follows the opening of a store on London's Regent Street last year. Currently, the brand is only available in France through its own website, and at the department store Galeries Lafayette.

“We have already seen strong customer demand and brand resonance in the market with our wholesale presence, making a Paris specialty store the natural next step for Kate Spade & Company's growth,” explained chief executive officer Craig Leavitt in a statement.

The Paris store will be located on rue Saint-Honoré, one of the city's most exclusive shopping streets, where it will count designer labels such as Hermès, Gucci and Prada among its neighbors. Scheduled to open in June, the two-storey boutique will stock the full range of clothing, handbags, shoes and accessories, as well as furniture from the brand's home collection.

To celebrate the opening, Kate Spade has designed a limited edition clutch bag in red, white and blue.