The UK is to finally get a directly-operated Dries Van Noten store with the high-end label set to open a flagship in London’s Mayfair after signing a 10-year lease for a space on Hanover Square.

The Puig-owned brand is stocked in several of the city’s leading department stores (such as Selfridges, Liberty and Harvey Nichols) but until now hasn’t had its own London store. It has flagships in other key shopping cities including Paris, LA, Tokyo and Antwerp. It opened its third Paris store less than two years ago as it expanded its beauty offer.

The new London store — the opening date of which isn’t yet known — should be able to replicate the more immersive and personalised experience that those other flagships offer.

The London flagship will be in a space that was formerly a Barclays Bank and will retain many of its historical features, while adding the kind of contemporary edge we’d expect from the label.

Mayfair — from Old Bond Street and New Bond Street to more discreet luxury enclaves such as Mount Street — is a magnet for high-end fashion brands and the pace of openings has accelerated as London has bounced back from the devastation of the pandemic. 

Hanover Square is a key location given its position between Regent Street and Bond Street and an appealing one for retailers looking to reach a high-end customer base. It’s seen a lot of development in recent years and is becoming increasingly shopping-focused having previously been more about banks, offices (like Vogue‘s former UK HQ) and galleries than luxury stores.

It’s a time of big change for Dries Van Noten too, the label’s founder having recently handed over the reins of the label to protégé Julian Klausner. His first solo womenswear collection will be show in Paris in March.