In October, Mandarin Gallery welcomed two new additions to its list of tenants with the opening of the new Paul Smith and Mulberry boutiques.
There are some uncanny similarities:
- Both are located at Mandarin Gallery (side-by-side even), with facades facing Orchard Road.
- The boutiques are the brand’s first flagships in Singapore, which mean they carry the labels’ most extensive collections here.
- Opening ceremonies for both seem to be significant events for the brand. So much so that Sir Paul Smith (yes, the man himself) was in store for the launch and there was a line of queue waiting to have his autograph and picture taken with him. Sexy songstress Lana Del Rey and CEO of Mulberry Bruno Guillon was in town for the ribbon cutting ceremony. And through my instagram feeds, Del Rey also performed at a private intimate dinner for the brand’s VIP.
The differences?
- The new Mulberry store is a duplex, while Paul Smith is only on the first floor.
- Store interiors, like the brands’ aesthetics, are quite different–Mulberry being more luxuriously decorated and spacious; the Paul Smith boutique has a more cosy vibe and feels like an eclectic English home.
Both stores are worthy to check out, even if it’s out of the way and more so if you’re fans.
