Big Moves: DeMellier opens its first store, and three more

Mireia Llusia-Lindh sold DeMellier handbags online for nine years before she gave her customers a place to sit down. Her first store, on London's Sloane Square, is set up like a living room. Three more brands made room to grow too: an activewear label that kept its Austin pop-up, a mother-daughter knitwear house that made its first pieces for babies and a nearly 30-year-old women's brand with a new owner.

DeMellier: its first store, on Sloane Square

DeMellier, the London handbag brand Llusia-Lindh founded in 2017, opened its first stand-alone store in the former Hugo Boss space on Sloane Square. Architect Nicolas Schuybroek designed the 3,230-square-foot store across two floors, with a living room upstairs and a long dining table downstairs that the brand plans to use for dinners. A "craft corner" holds the tools and stitching that go into the bags, which are made in workshops in Spain and Italy. The store launches a new style, the Sloane, at £585 for the large version, and offers appointments and free monogramming.^1,2,3

WWD reports the company closed its last financial year with £56 million in revenue, is profitable and still makes 80 percent of its sales online, with the rest at stores like Selfridges, Neiman Marcus and Net-a-Porter. Llusia-Lindh: "This is the first time our customers can truly step inside our world."¹

Why it matters: DeMellier waited until it had a following that knew the bags, then built a room people want to stay in, with a new bag that starts there. When you open your first store after years online, give people something they can only get by walking in.

Set Active: the Austin pop-up stays

Set Active, the Los Angeles activewear brand, turned its South Congress pop-up in Austin into a permanent store, its fourth after New York, Los Angeles and a Chicago store that opened in September. The company told WWD the pop-up reached its entire June sales goal within two days of opening, and that its Texas customer base grew faster than other regions after it opened.⁴

Set Active says more than half of the shoppers in its stores are new to the brand, and that it is on track to nearly double revenue this year. Austin and Chicago each carry city-only capsule pieces, and two more stores are planned for next year.⁴

Why it matters: Set Active tried Austin with a pop-up and stayed once the sales came in, and each store sells something you can't get anywhere else. If most of your store shoppers are new to you, the store is doing the work of an ad that people can walk into.

Bernadette: Baby Bernadette

Bernadette and Charlotte de Geyter, the mother and daughter behind the Antwerp label Bernadette, launched Baby Bernadette alongside their fall collection. Charlotte's first child, Susie, was born in September, and the capsule followed. It covers sizes 0 to 5 years with a cardigan and a button-shoulder crewneck at $165, a bonnet and booties, using the berry and cherry intarsia from Bernadette's womenswear so mothers and children can match.^5,6

Each piece is knitted by hand in Antwerp and made to order. Charlotte shot the campaign herself, 20 days after giving birth, with real mothers. "It brings back memories of being little and always wanting to dress like my mother," she told WWD. She calls it "a one-off celebration," adding, "but time will tell."⁵

Why it matters: Bernadette moved into a new category using motifs its customers already love, and made it to order, so there is no pile of unsold baby knits if it stays a one-off. A small, personal capsule is a low-risk way to find out whether your customers want you in a new category.

Sanctuary: a new owner in WSG Brands

WSG Brands acquired Sanctuary, the Los Angeles women's brand Ken and Debra Polanco founded in 1997 and known for its pants and utility pieces. The founders stay involved in the business, and Li & Fung becomes the main licensee for Sanctuary's women's ready-to-wear. The release does not give a price.⁷

WSG plans to take Sanctuary into the U.K., Europe, the Middle East and Asia, and to add men's, kids' and home. WSG CEO Jack Cheika: "Our goal is not to change what has made Sanctuary successful, but to build upon it." The Polancos called it a chance "to see the brand reach more women around the world."⁷

Why it matters: Nearly 30 years of a loyal customer and one clear product point of view is what WSG says it bought. A brand known for one thing, done well, is easier to carry into new countries and new categories.

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Big Moves covers raises, acquisitions, retail launches, product launches and notable hires across consumer brands: food and beverage, apparel, accessories, home goods, jewelry, cosmetics, skincare and wellness. Every item is checked against a primary or reputable source with a date. No brand pays to appear. Reply to the newsletter to suggest one.

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