News Now! | Abercrombie Centro Oberhausen Opening Debuts New Indoor Mall Prototype...

A&F Centro Oberhausen feat. the all-new mall prototype for Abercrombie & Fitch.

         BEARING A FACE of the future, the first mall-based Abercrombie & Fitch store in Europe henceforth welcomes the passionate shopper to experience the tomorrow now. Currently the only Abercrombie & Fitch store of its kind in the world (with a similar, adapted aesthetic having opened days prior in outdoors multi-level placement at the Chengdu IFS mall), A&F Centro Oberhausen in Germany is situated in the former Gilly Hicks spot in the shopping center, and it features the reimagined elements of the new A&F mall prototype.

Associates and fans had a most wonderful inaugural day in experiencing the spirit of this new premium location now live! Check out sharings from the day...

"Grand opening today!"   |   Image, @jan_saunier, associate
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"Abercrombie and Fitch Store Eröffnungsfeier in #Oberhausen :)"   |   @iam_mark1922
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"We did it!"   |   @bvaimart, associate
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"Wer auch immer du bist, danke für das bild haha"
[Whoever you are, thanks for the pic haha]   |   @ginnylein, fan
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Abercrombie & Fitch plans on introducing the all-new mall store prototype in the American market during this third quarter (Q3) of the 2014 fiscal year; it furthermore anticipates on accelerating this revamp expansion across the chain in the United States during FY2015. There is no official word yet on further upcoming mall locations in Europe, though A&F has plans to open another in China by this year's end, and the rate of openings expansion across the Chinese market is to accelerate during FY2015.

Very coolly the nation with the most international A&F locations to its own, Germany now boasts six Abercrombie & Fitch stores: three flagships (Düsseldorf, Hamburg, and Munich), one mall store (Oberhausen), and two outlet stores (Wolfsburg and Zweibrucken). Furthermore, North Rhine-Westphalia (Nordrhein-Westfalen) – the most populous, wealthiest in terms of GDP, and most industrious – is the only state to be home to two A&Fs – Düsseldorf and Oberhausen – in the country.

The description page for Abercrombie & Fitch on CentrO's website uses a slightly altered version, and in German language translation, of the new descriptor released in July for the brand (along with those of the rest of the A&F Family):

"The modern Abercrombie & Fitch is the next generation of effortless all-American style. The essence of laidback sophistication with an element of simplicity, A&F sets the standard for great taste. Confident and engaging, the Abercrombie & Fitch legacy is rooted in a heritage of quality craftsmanship and focused on a future of creative ambition."

"Das heutige Abercrombie & Fitch ist die nächste Generation vom leichtgängig typisch amerikanischen Stil. Mit seiner Art von Einfachheit und Raffinesse setzt A&F den Maßstab für guten Geschmack. Vom klassischen Campusleben bis hin zu Impressionen auf Reisen erweckt A&F Geschichten von Abenteuer und Entdeckungen zum Leben. Zuversichtlich und fesselnd ist das Vermächtnis von Abercrombie & Fitch, basierend auf hochwertiger Handwerkskunst mit dem ehrgeizigen Streben in eine kreative Zukunft."

The future is gold, indeed...

Stay FIERCE!

Check out the preceding post for further detail on location and perspectives (here).

A&F Centro Oberhausen (DE-ANF; #11191)
Centro Allee 117 - C043
46047 Oberhausen
Deutschland
Tel: 02086 2018647

Opening day: 10:00AM - 9:00PM (21:00)
Monday-Saturday: 10:00AM - 8:00PM (20:00)
Sunday: closed

Follow @TheSitchonFitch

News Now! | Abercrombie & Fitch CentrO Oberhausen...

         IN WHAT IS becoming the post-flagships openings era for leading international expansion efforts for the Abercrombie & Fitch brand, we are now experiencing the rise of overseas mall-based premium locations. The first international stores did technically open in Canada back in 2006, though those were merely an extension of the A&F chain format from the United States on into the greater North American market. Overseas expansion took off with the entrance into the European and Asian markets in 2007 and 2009, with A&F London and A&F Tokyo, respectively, and now the Company (well into the 2010s and in a markedly different world at large) is making those regional markets' primary robust economies the ground for its first overseas mall shops – China, which will be opening its first of such at the Chengdu IFS, and now Germany in CentrO Oberhausen...

The Abercrombie & Fitch community well knows of the CentrO shopping center as having been most famously the host of the first and only Gilly Hicks store – opened on 8 December 2011 – in continental Europe, and it was the last GH location to close in the chain this year. Well, the Company made the decision to convert the retail unit at CentrO into Europe's first Abercrombie & Fitch mall-based shop.

Although a pragmatic choice in part of the Company, the development of opening such an A&F location at CentrO is considerably susceptible to eyebrow raising. Crestfallen will be the British fan who has been expecting to have the first for a mall-based overseas A&F since the London opening; Abercrombie's presence there has been greater and furthermore reasonable premium expansion in the United Kingdom is long overdue. However, in Germany, while the fans there can rejoice, the decision to plop the shop in Oberhausen – what various Germans across the board consider an unappealing rural place (to sum-up their words politely) with CentrO as the only thing to do there – is mixed with subtle sentiments that it's not most ideal, at least, for a new retail endeavor (the same opinion they have over having introduced Gilly Hicks there in the first place). Nevertheless, CentrO itself is a great, wonderful attraction on the Continent; it is located in Nordrhein-Westfalen – the country's state with the highest GDP and at the heart of the "European megalopolis" – and is among the biggest of mall's in the EU and boasts popular European and international brands.

Hiring process for A&F CentrO Oberhausen has now been ongoing, and this latest FIERCE gift to Germany – reportedly around 500sqm (about 5,400sqft) – is still under wraps for now...

Joining its Hollister Co. sibling only a walk away, A&F CentrO Oberhausen opens doors this fall...

Stay FIERCE!

P.S. In July, Abercrombie & Fitch also opened its first outlet store locations in Germany at Wolfsburg Designer Outlets (in the state of Lower Saxony/Niedersachsen) and the more elusive Zweibrücken Style Outlets (in the state Rhineland-Palatine/Rheinland-Pfalz).

Image in this post by Erik94 of Neu Eröffnungen.

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News Now! | Abercrombie Kids Savile Row, London New Developments...

         THE JOY IS truly wondrous to finally see the abercrombie-branded construction hoarding wall now up after more than two years of dragging struggle to bring this upcoming store into realization. The planned abercrombie kids flagship store – the first standalone a&f kids flagship in the world – is now beautifully manifesting itself at No.3 Savile Row a stone's throw from A&F London. The roadblocks over the past prolonged period of battle have been annoying and tiring, but to be left in the past for good riddance. We couldn't be anymore happy to finally see this retail project flourishing more onsite, and this wonderful and positive new development comes beautifully as we get ever more merry for the Holidays!

How beautiful is that! Oh, and check out that construction
guy just chillin' there on break on the window sill! LOL
Photo by Jen B., 12 December 2013

Permission documents as displayed on the hoarding wall.

The project description reads: "Internal and external alterations comprising retail accommodations on the lower ground [floor], ground [floor], 1st and 2nd floors with associated office accommodation on the 3rd and 4th floors." It is expected to be completed by 41 weeks after the starting date which has been marked as October 28, 2013. Forty-one weeks exactly after that date falls on August 11 (unrelated, though incidentally, the A&F Hong Kong two-year anniversary). We can expect the opening in the latter-half of 2014.

The collaborating designer is the firm Househam Henderson which has done work for the likes of Tom Ford, Montblanc, Bottega Veneta, and many significant high-profile locations for Abercrombie & Fitch Co. in Europe.

Stay FIERCE!

Follow @TheSitchonFitch

News Now! | Hollister Co. Euralille, France Opening December 12...

WRITTEN BY CAMERON, TSOF CONTRIBUTOR

French advertising for the upcoming opening!

         DUDES AND BETTYS, check it out! Just in time for the holidays, France will be welcoming its 13th Hollister Co. Pier! The awesome partying is set to start on December 12, at 10:00AM (CET; UTC+1), and it's all going down at the Euralille shopping center in Lille! If you're in town, definitely plan to surf on in...

This store really does look great with its two level facade. I really do like the two-storey concept and I think this store shows it off perfectly! It just has something special about it: maybe it's how the middle part of the ground floor is indented, leaving the two "cubes" there at the side? I dunno, but I'll definitely have to go check out this store at some point!

I'm surprised that they have continued with the old storefront, but then again, this store type really fits this space well. I couldn't see the newer store fitting working in this space...

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This is one store opening that I am genuinely excited by as there's just something special about this "beach shack". All I'm saying is the guys at Hollister have done such a good job at designing this store! So yeah, if you can, definitely drop by even if it is just for a photo with the Hottest Lifeguards...you'll just end up being enticed to shop anyhow! ;)

Stay FIERCE!

#HOLLISTERFRANCE!

Follow @TheSitchonFitch

Written by Cameron J. for The Sitch on Fitch. Edited by C.E.R.

News Now! | Abercrombie and Hollister Sicilia Outlet Village Stores...

Perfectly situated near-central on the quintessentially Mediterranean Italian island of Sicily is the town of Agira in the province of Enna. Known for its beautiful churches with historical artworks, Agira is also home to an exclusive outlet shopping center purveying modern upscale wares of the Italian and international fashion scene...the Sicilia Outlet Village. And among fashion retailers such as Armani, Gucci, Ermenegildo Zegna, and Versace, to just name a few, are the recently opened Abercrombie & Fitch/abercrombie kids and Hollister Co. outlet stores!

These openings at the Sicilia Outlet Village are the latest in a new trend of A&F Co. outlet stores opening in Europe. Furthermore, these two in Agira mark the second A&F/kids retail location in Italy (apart from the flagship location in Milan); the second dual A&F/kids outlet in Europe; and the first Hollister outlet store in Italy.

 Sicilia Outlet Village reps promoting the stores...

See more from the album, (here)!

A&F/kids at the Sicilia Outlet Village...

Stay FIERCE!

Images in this post courtesy Sicilia Outlet Village.

Under Construction! | Hollister Co. Utrecht, Netherlands Store...

Arguably to be the most beautiful and culture-steeped Hollister Co. location on the planet, the upcoming HCo in Utrecht – to be the Netherlands second pier of the Southern California fantasy! – is being housed within the magnificent Frese Burch building at Oudegracht 113. (See original post). Weeks ago, rumors hinted at a September 5 opening, but that became apparent as obviously not to be. The opening is set for Thursday, September 26. Our guy, Thomas, dropped by to check on how progress has been going on, now in "post-production," you could say...

Nearing imminent completion, inauguration time is bound to be very soon, indeed!

#STOKED

We'll keep you posted...

Stay FIERCE!

UPDATE: OPENING SEPTEMBER 26!!!

The Sitch on Fitch thanks its contributor, Thomas, for his part in the creation of this post. Images in this post are © Thomas V. for The Sitch on Fitch. Images may not be used/altered without permission by the author.

Comin' Up! Abercrombie Kids Savile Row, London...

No.3 Savile Row as seen on Google Maps (2011).
Image used for illustrative purposes only.

For individuals of achievement, the triumphant persistence of determination is irrefutable in their inherent character. Thus is so in the case of Abercrombie & Fitch Co. which is now concretely proceeding with the realization of the first stand-alone abercrombie kids international location in London. For the Company, it is another mark of admirable resilience, in the pursuit of shinning goals, in fight against opposing forces at play...

The children's label of classic American prep-school cool is to be housed at No.3 Savile Row; and ever since the intentions of Abercrombie & Fitch were made public back in 2011, there have been heated opinions over the matter. Tensions, between the Company and the Row's reputable bespoke tailors, have remained on the world-renown street ever since the arrival of A&F even before its March 2007 flagship store inauguration. Now continuing to proceed into the 2010s, the Company's presence at its end of the Row has overwhelmingly amplified after the 2011 leasing agreements extension at 7 Burlington Gardens (42 Savile Row) to 2021 and as prospects develop, expanding its footprint, ahead for its children's wear label only a stone's throw away. The traditional nature of Savile Row is being threatened: so feel its establishments which have composed its storied historic significance. However, as one of the most clarifying statements out of this whole argument states...

"[...] The old street has no real relationship with the contemporary world, and this is its biggest problem. Savile Row made its name in the early 19th century by helping modern men to adapt their riding breeches into the suit we still recognise today. It has not displayed such enlightened thinking in the 21st century, (why not a suit adapted for commuter bike riding?). [...H]andmade doesn't need to mean heritage. Savile Row needs to adapt its crafts to the modern world – and fast." - Charlie Porter, The Guardian ^[source]

Furthermore, as Joseph Morgan, director of Savile Row tailor Chittleborough & Morgan, recently commented to CNBC, "The street is known for providing quality and bespoke clothes to the world. Ready-to-wear chains want to say they're in Savile Row to boost their profile - but it won't work unless they're providing bespoke suits. [This with Abercrombie & Fitch] would bring a new, young atmosphere to the street, and might open-up bespoke tailoring to a younger audience." And there is truth in his words: conscious awareness of Savile Row and bespoke tailoring has grown tremendously across various new consumer demographics via the universal appeal of Abercrombie & Fitch. A&F consumers cannot be lumped under one pathetic, ignorant stereotype. The brand's appeal is universal, awareness of the Row and its crafts have spread farther, and new aspirational and conscious clientele will most likely come out of this in the future for the Row.

Abercrombie & Fitch Co. is, of course, content to proceed in opening abercrombie kids on No.3 Savile Row (also called the "Apple Building" after having been headquarters to The Beatles; it was on its rooftop where they made their last live performance back in January 1969; and Peter Shaw of Executive Offices Group once purchased it in 2007 for £17 million (€19.554 million / US$27.146 million)). The Company has been prohibited from blacking out the windows, using strip lighting, a flagpole, and from hosting an opening "party". But naturally, that is not getting in the way of the realization of this beautiful upcoming store.

Back in 2011, when the Company set its interests on the location, Abercrombie was initially looking for 10,000 square feet (939 square meters) though 3 Savile Row was ultimately offering 14,000 square feet (1,301 square meters) in total. Abercrombie & Fitch will have to renovate the building to convert the basement, ground level, and lower floors to accommodate its retail plans. The project was seen as expensive, but A&F has a sufficiently "strong balance sheet" to fund the renovations.

Honestly, there is a no more appropriate location for abercrombie kids in London than 3 Savile Row. The building is ideal for the smaller, aspirational brand, and, in London, the little one will have a place of its own in Europe for the first time. However, in this new, exciting venture, it will only be right across the street from its great older sibling!

As for the opening: perhaps sometime in the Spring-Summer 2014 season. You'll be kept updated...

Stay FIERCE!

Comin' Up! Hollister Co. Utrecht, Netherlands Store...

Oudegracht 113 with its black hoarding wall, April 2013.
Photo by Thomas for The Sitch on Fitch.

Curious was the location at Oudegracht 113 – a structure of subtly dignified facade and looking ever so overhead that tranquil Old Canal – in the beautifully historical Dutch city of Utrecht. What had once been the home of the Free Record Shop had suddenly then become the subject of a heated rumor in the Spring of 2013. Such rumor, touting an arrival of the Apple Store to Utrecht, was soon found to have been based on nothing more than a poor prank on the retail aficionados of the city: somebody had thought it funny to place a mock-Apple logo on the black hoarding wall in front of the property. However, dismay can be washed away, as most others felt so anyhow, by an impending wave of cool of the Southern California fantasy!

Hollister, now with an impressively powerful presence across the European retail scene, is gearing up to the opening of its second store for the Netherlands in Utrecht, indeed! Considering the quite southern and set-off position of Maastricht – home of the first Dutch HCo store – from the rest of the country, this upcoming opening in Utrecht is ideally more accessible to the nation's greater population density concentration...furthermore, Utrecht is only southeast from Amsterdam itself and bringing the brand closer to the capital. "Hollister's Great March to Amsterdam," we could amusingly call it!

An outstanding building on the Oude Gracht, No. 113 is among its most exceptional. Named "Frese Burch", its original form had been erected near the middle of the 13th century. During the siege of the Vredenburg castle nearby – an event which occurred in the latter-half of the 16th century during the Eighty Years War – the back of the Frese Burch was destroyed. Vague is the greater history of the Frese Burch, though what is more so clear is the year of 1858 when the facade was completely reconstructed in the elegant style of the period. Today, remnants of the medieval period remain in synthesis with the change of the modern age. The property is a three story building of reputable recognition and even includes a house cellar and stair tower.

The Frese Burch building as seen during its time as home to Free Record Shop (note the exquisite detail of the facade)...

Our new Dutch contributor, Thomas, took these pics of when Hollister Co. advertising was finally plastered onto the black hoarding wall by mid-May...

HCo Oudegracht (store #31267) is under construction and scheduled to open in the Back-to-School 2013 fashion season which begins by around mid-July. We've heard through the grapevine that the opening day may be Thursday, September 5, but we can't say that's officially concrete at the moment at all. Hiring is in motion as of now, however. Naturally, we'll keep ya updated in collaboration with our great guy Thomas...

Stay FIERCE!

UPDATE: STORE OPENING IS SET FOR THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 26!!!

UPDATE (5 SEPTEMBER 2013): Work on HCo Utrecht is nearing completion. Read the update post, (here)!

Hollister & Gilly Hicks Outlet, Freeport Braintree, UK!

Hey Dudes & Bettys! How are y'all?

Hollister and Gilly Hicks opened at Freeport Braintree on the 8th April 2013! Not only is it a joint store, but it's a joint OUTLET store! There was a massive queue on the opening day, so I'll show you the pictures I found on the Freeport Braintree Facebook Page (here).

Hollister & GH in one store? Yes please! ;)

Another #SoCal Opening!

Plenty of Eager Customers!

Sydney & California in One Place!

"Hey, Welcome to the Pier!" ;)

 So if you're nearby, go check it out as there are a whole lot of bargains to be found!
The store can be found at Units 7,8 and 9.
 Here's a link to the location

I was at the Hollister in Braehead Shopping Centre, Glasgow over the weekend, so I managed to get a few photos of the store; 

The Abercrombie & Fitch outlet at Ashford Designer Outlet, will also be an Abercrombie Kids Outlet! It will be in units 87-92, which have a combined retail space of 8000 sq ft. The store will employ 150 staff. David Maddison, Centre Manager at Ashford Designer Outlet, said: "We are thrilled to welcome Abercrombie & Fitch to McArthurGlen Designer Outlets, in what is their first venture in the European designer outlet market. We are sure that Abercrombie & Fitch will be a huge hit with our fashion-loving shoppers, seeking the signature Abercrombie & Fitch style."


And remember that Hollister @ Westfield Bondi Junction, Sydney opens today, along with the A&F outlet at Ashford Outlet Village! We'll have both openings covered, so check back soon!


Stay FIERCE!
~Cameron 

Comin' Up! Hollister Munich Store on Färbergraben...

Mark you calendars!

How's it going, Dudes and Bettys? Cool weekend planned? Our gorgeous German correspondent, Sabrina, is enjoying a wonderful weekend trip to the incredible city of Munich! Having fun is all in a day's worth, and she never misses the opportunity to drop by the incredible Abercrombie & Fitch flagship store on Sendlinger Straße in the city's historic center. (Purchase included a pair of sexy A&F Jeggins)! But there was something else to check out this time around in regards to all-American cool...high-word in town is that Southern California is finally surfing in to party up with the coolest guys and girls, of course!

Walking out of A&F Munich, a casual stroll to the left, and turning around the corner onto Färbergraben, brings one quickly to the site of the upcoming party at the Pier. The Sitch on Fitch showed you some pics from early-April (see here). Now, Sabrina brings us photos of HCo Munich as we countdown the days till the great opening celebration...

Sabrina's card handed out by an A&F model.

The two-story electronic video facade.

Sideview of portion belonging to Hollister as a part of the Hofstatt development.

The main entrance to HCo Munich to the left of the walkway.

Soon to be another beautiful addition to Munich's shopping scene...

Stay FIERCE!

The Sitch on Fitch thanks its correspondent Sabrina for her contributions in the making of this post. Photos in this post are by Sabrina for The Sitch on Fitch, and they may not be used/altered without permission by the author.

Under Construction! | Hollister Munich Store on Färbergraben...

As the great opening day nears (see here), check out these early-April images of the final construction phase of Munich's upcoming high-profile Hollister store – Germany's first HCo flagship store – on Färbergraben in the city's Altstadt historic center. A part of the greater Hofstatt development in the area, HCo Munich is to be the biggest Hollister store in continental Europe, and it also features a two-story, electronic video display facade...

 

 

 

Of course, the place is now in a completed and polishing-up state. LOL Hang-ten with the hottest crowd on Thursday, April 25 at 10:00AM (CET)! Donnerstag, 25 April, 10:00!

Stay FIERCE!

The Sitch on Fitch thanks Markus B. for his photographic contribution to this post. Photos in this post are by Markus B. for The Sitch on Fitch, and they may not be used/altered without permission by the creative author.

Hollister Munich Store Opening April 25... Get Stoked!

Detail of the electronic, video display facade...digital SoCal waves in Bavaria!
Photo by Markus B. for The Sitch on Fitch, April 2013.

The awesome city of Munich – capital of the beautifully quintessentially German state of Bavaria – has been the FIERCE mecca for all-American cool in southern Germany since the incredible arrival of Abercrombie & Fitch last year. Now, after more than a year of wait, the sexy Southern California fantasy by Abercrombie & Fitch is finally gonna start to party it up, too! Break out flip flops, surfboards, and a wad of cash... And bring all your best buddies and get chummy with the hot lifeguards... Dude, it all goes down Thursday, April 25 at 10:00 (CET)! ;)

To be the biggest Hollister store in continental Europe, HCo Munich (store #31349), also boasting a two-story electronic video display facade, is a part of the greater Hofstatt development on the Färbergraben street. The great Abercrombie & Fitch flagship store on Sendlinger Straße (Strasse), as well a part of the Hofstatt development in the area, is right around the corner... With both giants of cool partying together, it's perfection at the hottest spot in town!

In preparation leading up to the big day, promo cards are being handed out...

The date is set, the abs and goods are being prepped, and all you've gotta do is come, shop, and enjoy...

Stay FIERCE!

Abercrombie & Fitch Ashford, England, Outlet Store Opening May!

 See exclusive, update post

on the interior and other details (here)!

A little over six years ago, Abercrombie & Fitch arrived in the United Kingdom with a force of unparalleled attitude. It's London flagship store at 7 Burlington Gardens became the epicenter of all-American privileged cool in an exclusive area, in the Mayfair neighborhood, once only the domain old-world English style. And A&F London was to remain the only Abercrombie & Fitch location in Great Britain...rumors of the arrival of a sequel location would come and go. But after years of speculation, it's happening: Abercrombie & Fitch will finally open doors to its second UK retail spot – Britain's first A&F outlet store – this upcoming 9 May 2013 at the Ashford Designer Outlet.

The selection of the Ashford Designer Outlet for Abercrombie & Fitch is most strategically appropriate. Retail-wise, the shopping center belongs to the McArthurGlen family of high-end outlets – found throughout the UK and continental Europe – carrying brands like Prada, Valentino, and Ralph Lauren, for the stylish individual, at attractively reduced prices. For brands offered at Ashford Designer Outlets, see (here). Furthermore, the Ashford Designer Outlet is about 60 minutes southeast of London – the town of Ashford being on the M20 motorway which links to the London Orbital (M25) motorway encircling Greater London. The M20 continues on down to Folkestone where the Channel Tunnel then provides transport to and from England and France.

In the heart of Kent, famed as the Garden of England, lies Ashford Designer Outlet – a visitor attraction in its own right. Designed by [the renowned architect] Lord Richard Rogers, the centre attracts fashion conscious visitors from London, South East England and Europe, who enjoy 70 stores offering reductions of up to 60% on premium and designer brands including Fred Perry, Reiss, Polo Ralph Lauren, Lacoste, Nike, Ted Baker and Tommy Hilfiger.

Located within walking distance from Ashford International Station, just 27 minutes from Central London by high-speed train and minutes from junction 10 of the M20, visitors from the UK and Europe can satisfy their passion for fashion with ease. The centre is also a perfect stop-off point for anyone driving to or from the cross-channel ferry port at Dover. Set beneath an awe-inspiring structure, the centre offers a range of restaurants and cafes and a children’s play area, making it the perfect shopping location for the whole family. - McArthurGlen Designer Outlets (source)

As of now, Abercrombie & Fitch is in hire of store models for A&F Ashford Designer Outlet (ANF store #11380). The impending opening of the location, although an outlet store, is quite looked forward to. Naturally, the presence of the shop will bring further consumer traffic and notability to the Ashford Designer Outlet shopping center.

Precise opening date to be announced soon...

Stay FIERCE!

UPDATE (JUNE 2013): Check out insightful details and insider pics (here)!

UPDATE (16 APRIL 2013): The opening was announced as Thursday, May 9. This post was revised in effect.

Cameron in Scotland! | Some #SoCal News about HCo and A&F in the UAE and the UK!

Hey Dudes and Bettys!

Hope your all good this week!

I have to apologize as last week I said some of my female friends would be choosing some of their favorite #SoChill looks for Bettys but unfortunately, they haven't had time as they were at a One Direction concert. I should be able to bring you these next week.

Anyways, last week I talked briefly about the Abercrombie kids Savile Row store. I can bring you more information this week! Abercrombie & Fitch bought the building, 3 Savile Row, last summer, they then applied for planning permission to erect LCD screens on the exterior of the store and to attach flagpoles to the top of the building. They then specified that the interior would be like the A&F store which is already on Savile Row. The LCD screens surprised me as it is generally only the HCo and GH stores (such as Hollister Edinburgh and Fifth Avenue; GH Cardiff, for one example) that have these. Although I do think that the screens could look pretty cool on an a&f Kkds store.

Westminster City Council refused to give planning permission to change the interior and exterior, but have given permission for the building to be used as a shop as long as:
- No music can be heard from the street outside
- There can be no celebrity filled opening party
- There can not be any queues onto the pedestrian pavement (sidewalk) or road.
- No buggies/prams/strollers belonging to customers are not allowed outside the store either.

A&F has appealed against the decisions made by WCC, and the situation has gone to a Public Enquiry. I will inform you of any more information I discover!

Also, to all my Arabian readers out there, A&F has teamed up with Majid Al Futtaim Fashion in the UAE to develop the brand. They have planned for the first Hollister store to open sometime in the 3rd quarter of 2013 this is to open in the Mall of the Emirates, the largest shopping centre in the Middle East, and this is a massive step in the international expansion A&F have planned.

Majid Al Futtaim Ventures, the owners of Majid Al Futtaim Fashion, have also planned for an Abercrombie & Fitch flagship store to open sometime in early 2014. This is also to be somewhere in Dubai. I personally would love to see a store that looked like the one on Fifth Avenue (New York) or the Paris store. I personally think that these are two of the most iconic stores. But I guess Shanghai, opening later this year, may no longer be the last A&F opening for the time being as originally planned.

'We are very excited about the A&F joint venture and the growth potential for both the A&F brands in the region' said Ahmed Galal Ismail, CEO of Majid Al Futtaim Ventures.

A&F will need to take into account the very strict rules of the UAE and the Muslim religion.

Females are required to be covered up. They must have their shoulders and thighs covered, which obviously doesn't tie in with most of the Abercrombie tees and tanks. The mini skirts and shorts will also be a big no-go area. They are also not allowed to wear tight or transparent clothing. Men must have the upper part of there body covered if they are not at a beach (No, a HCo beach house doesn't cut it ;)). This obviously affects the greeters at the Hollister store and the Hottest Lifeguards when they promote the store. I don't think we'll see anything like a normal store opening, with 100 odd lifeguards. There must be no dancing or playing loud music in a public place, so the store will be exceptionally quiet opposed to what it usually is. And finally, the A&F adverts will need to be toned down as 'erotic' or 'sexual' advertising is strictly not allowed either. Overall, I expect the A&F expansion into the UAE will be very different to the usual stores and advertising.

That's it for this week,

Stay FIERCE!

~Cameron
You can follow me on Instagram: Cameron_Johnstone

3 Savile Row, London

Cameron In Scotland | #SoChill Spring-Style + Abercrombie kids on Savile Row...

Hey Dudes & Bettys!

How are y'all?

This week, the sun has finally came out and the temperatures have risen! It's finally starting to feel like Spring over here. Temperatures reached a high of 7°C (63°F). I know it dosen't sound much to all you lucky people in warmer countries, but over here, it's shorts and tees weather! Haha.

Anyways, I'm going to pick my favourites for Spring from A&F and HCo. I'll ask some of my female friends to pick the girls merchandise, and will post that next week!

Hollister Dudes:

Left side: Monarch Beach Shirt, shown in blue, £40 (US$39.50)
               Salt Creek Shorts, shown in white, £42 (US$44.50)

Centre Column: So Cal Body Spray, one size, £15 (US$15)

Right side Classic Beach Flip Flops, shown in Blue & Green, £15 (US$15.50)
                Ocean Beach Swim Shorts, shown in Turquoise Ombre, £39 (US$39.50)



Abercrombie & Fitch Men:

Left side: Henderson Lake Tee, shown in light green, £28 (US$30)
               Lake Road Shorts, shown in white, £42 (US$50)

Centre: A&F 1892 Cologne, shown in green, £55 (US$50)

Right side: Bold Color Flip Flops, shown in green & blue, £22 (US$20)
                 Boreas Mountain Shirt, shown in green stripe, £68 (US$68)

There you have it guys! What do you think of my choices? What would you pick? Leave me a comment below.


Oh, I nearly forgot, haha! I have some developments to finally share on the planned Abercrombie kids flagship in London. On the 5th of February, Westminster City Council refused the plans Abercrombie & Fitch had put forward for it's first UK childswear store. The chairman of the planning and development commitee, Alastair Moss quoted, "The applicants don't seem to understand the importance of a Grade II Listed building, and their proposal is utterly unacceptable, they need to play by the rules - as I can't overstate the significance of protecting this area and preserving the heritage of the Row." A public enquiry, when the public have their say on what should happen, was supposed to have initiated on February 12. I highly doubt that the public enquiry will help A&F due to the protests last July. One anonymous tailor stated, "I don't think anyone objects to moving forward, but a chain store selling crappy clothes to ghastly people isn't really the direction in which we should be traveling." Really? I don't agree.

What is your opinion on the situation? Leave a comment below and I'll be sure to get back to you!

Stay FIERCE!
 ~Cameron