Gisele For Vogue China Feb' 2011, photo courtesy of Vogue China
A rumor that Prada wants to go public has been lingering for a few years now, and the method in which Prada intends to do so, is the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. It appears as if Prada has found its niche in the Asia market. Things started with the Prada Transformer in Seoul a few years back - an installation art structure set in the middle of the emerging metropolis. In addition to its continual expansion in Asia, Prada announced this week that it will open two design offices: one in Paris and the other being in Hong Kong. These labs will be functioning by the end of the year, and will also be the first design and research labs outside its Italian headquarters.
Prada will also be following in the footsteps of Fendi, Chanel, Dior, and most recently Philip Lim by staging a show in Beijing this Saturday, January 22, 2011. The collection shown will be the same Spring 2011 collection first premiered in Milan previously in September, but will include some new pieces specifically designed for this occasion.
Prada's interest in Asia should not come as a surprise especially since China accounts for most of the growth that the luxury sector has experienced in the last few years.
