Machine-A to expand internationally with Shanghai store

By

Sandra Halliday

Published
Jun 13, 2022

The Machine-A retail brand is going international and will open a Shanghai store imminently, its first permanent location outside of the UK. The debut will also include an exclusive link-up with the Raf Simons label via a shop-in-shop.

The UK-based multibrand retailer will open the doors of a 245 sq m store in the Jing’an District.

The store will actually be operated by Machine-A’s majority owner, Tomorrow London, the fashion business that acquired control of the brand two years ago.

Machine-A founder and buying director Stavros Karelis said the opening in Shanghai is “almost a natural step”  and reflects the “support our Chinese audience has shown all these years”.

“I know that a concept store is not unique anymore, especially in Shanghai, where multibrand stores are booming,” he said. “But based on our experience in London, I think we can still offer something that is going to be different from what exists there.”

The company has built a strong fanbase in China via Wechat, Alipay and Red, but the new store won’t only offer more of the same with the business taking the opportunity to refresh its brand list. That means emerging brands will be found alongside established labels and exclusive collabs.

As mentioned, the first collab will be with Raf Simons, which will also be that label’s first Chinese D2C location.

The design of the wider store has been created by Glenn Sestig Architects and Chinese architect Peijing Lu, who retained the Machine-A storytelling approach but have created a more localised interior look.