Azzedine Alaïa Is Opening A London Flagship Store

The style maverick Azzedine Alaïa sets his sight on Britain.

British fans of Grace Jones and Greta Garbo's go-to designer are in for a treat.

The new Alaïa store, which opens in the summer of 2018, at 139 New Bond Street will cozy up with leading luxury locals Smythson, Chanel, Coach and Ermenegildo Zegna and a host of world-famous fine jewelers.

The new boutique, his first European flagship store outside France, will span two floors and showcase Alaïa's clothing lines and footwear, handbag and accessories ranges.

According to Women's Wear Daily's sources, the Tunisian-born, Paris-based designer is thought to be splashing out $1,924, per square foot to secure the prime luxury shopping locatio, formerly occupied by S.J Philips.

Perfect timing—Alaïa's arrival will coincide with a Westminster-backed multi-million pound redevelopment plan, aimed at radically transforming London's West End.

Decades after inventing the ultimate 1980s clubbing wardrobe staple -- the bandage mini dress, worn by supermodels Linda Evangelista, Naomi Campbell, Veronica Webb and Yasmin Le Bon, Alaïa continues to enchant the fashion world with his audacious, ultra-feminine creations.

Channeling a sportier vibe than ever before, Alaïa loyalists are loving the Spring/Summer 2017 ready-to-wear collection—dubbed "ath-glamour" by fashion critics.

Summer wardrobe staples include an optical print bomber jacket and flared skirt ensemble and activewear-inspired cutaway sleeve dresses.

Standout accessories include laser-cut leather sneakers, nude suede studded sandals and the designer's iconic bracelet bags.

Alaïa has been the focus of two major European retrospectives in the past few years. In 2015, Rome's Galleria Borghese focused on the designer's penchant for 'soft sculpture' while in 2014, the Palais Galliera in Paris hosted an exhibit charting the designer's extensive career.

Tatler Asia

Azzedine Alaïa Is Opening A London Flagship Store