IN CONJUNCTION with the opening of its new South-east Asia flagship boutique at The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands, Fendi has specially flown in three very special sets (there are only 100 in the world) of Karl Lagerfeld Limited Edition prints for a silent auction.
The auction will start with an opening bid of 2,000 euros (S$3,417) and interested bidders are invited to visit the boutique itself to make a silent bid.
According to Fendi, each set comes with a series of five prints in special paper, of images shot by Karl Lagerfeld: four images within the set will be from Fendi's Fall/Winter 2010 advertising campaign and one that is a portrait of the design maestro. Lagerfeld will personally autograph and number his own likeness in each set so this is a must-have for Lagerfeld fans.
The auction will run within the Fendi boutique until the end of the month where the three highest bids will win the coveted items. All proceeds will go to The Business Times Budding Artists Fund.
While not everyone can wrangle invites to these chi-chi store launches, you might be able to get a piece of the action by buying one of the limited edition wares that many of the brands have come up with to celebrate their new store launches.
MBS exclusives at new stores
The flurry of retail outlets opening at The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands (MBS) has not been lost on Singaporean consumers and certainly not on the local glitterati who have had their fill of champagne and canapes at the never-ending store launches over the past few months.
Just two weeks ago for example, Alfred Dunhill hosted over 120 guests not simply to peruse and celebrate the opening of the new boutique but also to witness first hand senior modelist, Tomasz Nosarzewski, who was flown in from the Alfred Dunhill London workshop, to demonstrate the traditional techniques behind the constructing of Alfred Dunhill leather goods using the brand's iconic Tradition leather.
On Tuesday (Sept 14), the new Chanel boutique will open officially, followed the next day by Fendi's glamorous official debut with an invitation-only cocktail reception.
But while not everyone can wrangle invites to these chi-chi store launches, you might be able to get a piece of the action by buying one of the limited edition wares that many of the brands have come up with to celebrate their new store launches.
Fendi for example, has launched a limited edition version of its Classico #1 handbag (price upon request) in capincho leather and pony hair. Each of the 20 bags is numbered and features a tag for personalised initials and word has it that there are only a few left.
Over at Chanel, the French fashion house has also launched a range of items exclusive to its new boutique at MBS. While the three limited edition alligator iconic bags have already been sold, there are still two exclusive Red Charm Bags ($6,280 for charms on the chain, $6,980 for charms on the flap) that are still up for grabs.
Not to be outdone, Gucci is also celebrating its new 5,500 sq ft boutique with the launch of the 'Gucci 1973' small shoulder handbag collection in colours only available at its Marina Bay Sands outlet at $1,210 each. This exclusive palette includes china blue, fuschia pink, cerese orange, bacca red and mustard yellow and each bag features a 'FW 2010 Singapore Exclusive' plate.
Yves Saint Laurent has similarly released its Muse bags in colours - degrade purple and degrade brown exclusive to its MBS boutique with each bag bearing a 'Marina Bay Sands' plate. They cost $3,160 each.
Looking ahead, there is the store opening of Miu Miu's fourth store in Singapore on Sept 19 to look forward to. The Roberto Baciocchi designed store covers a total area of 345 square metres and will carry the luxurious brand's collection of women's footwear, bags and accessories collections.
To celebrate the launch of the opening, Miu Miu has specially developed a special edition version of its classic Vitello Lux handbag. The material for the collection is made of nappa venice and will be available in nine colours. A total of 50 pieces in assorted quantities for each colours will be flown in. Each is priced at $2,260.
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