In the first half of 2025, fashion brands launched fewer retail initiatives worldwide, according to a Luxurynsight survey. By contrast, the report highlights strong momentum in fragrances and cosmetics, while watches and jewellery held steady.
Based on the period from January to August, Luxurynsight puts the number of “retail activations” for fashion and leather goods at 391, covering store openings, shop-in-shops, pop-ups and service areas. This figure is down 9 points from the first half of 2024. While China, Europe and North America show stable levels, the figures indicate sustained commercial momentum in the APAC region (Asia-Pacific) and the MENA region (Middle East and North Africa).
Conversely, the number of activations in fragrances and cosmetics rose by 13 points to 148. Once again, growth was driven by the APAC and MENA regions. As in fashion, only the Japanese market saw a notable decline in major brands’ commercial initiatives.
The study also looks at the watches and jewellery market, which generated 91 notable activations over the period, a slight contraction of 5 points. In this field, Europe posted strong growth, while Japan also advanced. By contrast, the study reveals a decline in the Chinese, APAC and MENA markets.
Permanent and pop-up stores
By region and across all sectors, China remains the busiest retail market, accounting for 34% of activations, ahead of Europe (20%), APAC (16%) and North America (10%).
For permanent store openings alone, activity is concentrated in China (33%), Europe (20%), APAC (16%) and North America (12%). Coach, Loewe, Louis Vuitton, Prada and Chanel are the most active in fashion, while Diptyque, Jo Malone and Acqua di Parma are particularly prominent in beauty.
As for pop-up store openings, the regional distribution remains similar to that of permanent boutiques. Tokyo, Shanghai, London, New York and Taiwan are the most targeted cities.
Among fashion brands, Dior, Loewe, Louis Vuitton, Prada and Burberry are the most active. In watchmaking, Bulgari, Van Cleef & Arpels, Tiffany and Cartier are the most prominent.
Cartier has opened a permanent boutique in Palm Beach within the Royal Poinciana.
Cartier opens new boutique in Palm Beach. – Cartier
Located at 70 Royal Poinciana Plaza, the boutique is designed to reflect the brand’s heritage while incorporating Palm Beach’s coastal identity, with an emphasis on architectural preservation and local history. It houses Cartier’s full range of jewelry, fine jewelry, watches, leather goods, fragrance and accessories.
Notably, the boutique occupies part of the former Royal Poinciana Playhouse, originally opened in 1958 and designed by architect John Volk in the Regency Revival style. The store retains the Playhouse façade, including statues depicting the four seasons, preserved under the guidance of the Landmarks Preservation Commission. As a nod to the legacy of the building, interior details feature elements of Regency architecture such as wrought iron accents, stucco façades, classical friezes and arched windows.
Cartier’s interior design also draws on Palm Beach’s natural environment, with 17-foot ceilings, and hand-painted golden wall gradients accented by custom reliefs inspired by native foliage. Wooden flooring references the area’s seafaring heritage, and Murano glass sconces shaped like shells and palm leaves highlight the region’s coastal character and echo themes found in Cartier’s collections.
Cartier has maintained a presence in Palm Beach for over 100 years, having first opened a seasonal boutique in the Beaux Arts Building in 1924.
As the end of the year approaches, the fashion retail sector is seeing several brands strengthen their bricks-and-mortar presence with new openings. Here is a round-up.
Maison Ola inaugurates first Parisian boutique
Boutique Ola at 33 rue de Grenelle in the 7th arrondissement – DR
Maison Ola, the label founded by Maria de la Orden and Grégory Mizele, known for its hats and hair accessories with a refined, sunlit charm, has set up shop in Paris for the first time. The brand officially opened the doors of its first boutique on 17 November, at 33, rue de Grenelle in the 7th arrondissement.
The 50-square-metre space is located in the heart of Saint-Germain-des-Prés. The boutique brings together all the brand’s collections and has been conceived to showcase its materials and craftsmanship.
This first physical address marks a new milestone for Maison Ola, which continues to expand its network and establish itself in the Parisian market. Maison Ola is available on the Moda Operandi platform, as well as in several outlets located in the Airelles group’s hotels and high-end establishments: Les Airelles Courchevel, Airelles Val d’Isère, Château de la Messardière, Jardin Tropezina, Château d’Estoublon and La Bastide de Gordes.
Phileo brings footwear offering to Boulevard Beaumarchais in Paris
Phileo Beaumarchais store in Paris – DR
Founded in 2020 by Philéo Landowski, the independent Parisian footwear brand Phileo opens its first boutique at 37, Boulevard Beaumarchais, in the 3rd arrondissement. The official opening took place on 27 November, and the boutique will be open Tuesday to Saturday, 1pm to 7pm. The retail space spans 62 square metres.
Conceived by Philéo Landowski, who collaborates with several major sports and lifestyle brands, the boutique takes an unconventional approach to retail. With exposed structures and raw surfaces, the space reflects the brand’s interest in the creative process and the tension between materials, and functions as a living space hosting interventions and installations by artists and collaborators.
As an independent label, Phileo is supported by DSMP-BD (Dover Street Market Paris – Brand Development) for distribution. The brand is carried in around thirty points of sale worldwide. It received the 2024 Grand Prix de la Création de la Ville de Paris and was a finalist for the 2025 ANDAM Fashion Award.
Caleb opens first boutique in Le Marais
DR
Founded by Aaron Moyal and Samuel Milgrom, two-year-old brand Caleb continues its expansion with the opening of its first Paris boutique. The store is located at 72, rue Vieille-du-Temple, in the heart of Le Marais, in a 70-square-metre space.
Positioned around a timeless, genderless wardrobe, Caleb offers pieces with fluid cuts and materials selected for their durability. The boutique brings together the full menswear, womenswear and genderless collections, as well as limited editions and a selection of exclusive objects.
This first bricks-and-mortar location strengthens Caleb’s presence in the Paris market. The brand already has several international points of sale: Paris (2 points of sale: 1 Caleb boutique and 1 multi-brand corner at Printemps), St Barth, St-Tropez, Dubai, Kyiv (partner boutique), Italy and Tel Aviv.
Bonne Maison opens first boutique in Annecy
DR
Bonne Maison, the French premium socks brand founded in 2012 and acquired in 2023 by Laure de Gennes, inaugurates its first boutique at 34, rue Sommeiller, in Annecy. The official opening was on 19 November 2025.
The brand, renowned for its graphic, colourful socks made from Egyptian cotton yarn and manufactured in Europe, has unveiled a 30-square-metre space designed as an art gallery.
Bonne Maison, which does not disclose its turnover, generates 90% of its sales internationally (Europe, the United States and Asia) and 20% of its business via digital channels. The brand is distributed in over 700 points of sale worldwide, including Le Bon Marché, Isetan and Printemps New York.
Acanthe inaugurates 15th boutique in France in Levallois-Perret
Acanthe boutique at 46 rue du Président Wilson 92300 Levallois Perret – DR
Founded in 1983 by Antoine de Jouffrey, Acanthe aims to offer quality shirts and clothing at accessible prices. Today, the family-run brand is headed by Blanche de Jouffrey, the founder’s daughter, while Aimée de Jouffrey, a womenswear designer, is debuting her Winter 2025 collection.
Acanthe develops timeless, durable collections crafted from natural materials such as cotton, linen, merino wool, lambswool and cashmere. The Cashmere Collection, launched in 2006, illustrates this commitment with modern, long-lasting pieces knitted in two-ply yarn.
In October, Acanthe opened its 15th boutique in France, in Levallois-Perret, a 52-square-metre space. The brand now has 15 points of sale, all standalone boutiques, consolidating its physical presence and direct access to customers.
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More lucrative than a car boot sale and more cost-effective than a shopping trip: that’s the pitch behind Wherewear, a French peer-to-peer fashion rental platform. Launched in 2023 by Victoire Tassin and Yasmine Brunet, the company aims to reach 150,000 female users within 18 months.
Yasmine Brunet and Victoire Tassin, founders of wherewear – @ofeliaemephoto
Eight years ago, the two entrepreneurs met at Printemps, both working as product managers on apprenticeships. After a spell at Ba&sh, Brunet returned to Printemps. To help Tassin, who was in the midst of a recruitment process at Yves Saint Laurent, she lent her the jumpsuit that helped her land the job and return to Printemps. This is the “genesis” of Wherewear, as Tassin sums it up: a loan of a garment between friends.
Since then, Wherewear has launched, first as a website and now as an app, with an interface that sits somewhere between Vinted and Airbnb.
“We also want to create a genuine social network feel. That’s why, on wherewear, the profile page resembles an Instagram profile. We recommend photos of the clothes being worn in real-life settings, precisely to convey what we want a garment to express,” explained Tassin.
wherewear won the IFM Incubator Pitch last September – @ofeliaemephoto
Thanks to their work and their concept, the two entrepreneurs were named winners of the IFM Incubator Pitch last September. After numerous meetings and training sessions, the Wherewear founders took home the €10,000 prize, invested in visibility (with Univers Presse), but above all gained exposure before industry figures. In 2024, Tassin and Brunet also joined the La Ruche incubator, focused on CSR issues.
Short-term development focused on France
In the medium term, the company plans to open its wardrobe to menswear and childrenswear, and to expand to the rest of the world. While serious competitors already exist elsewhere, such as By Rotation in the UK, other markets appear more accessible to the two co-founders. That will come later. By 2026, Wherewear hopes to establish itself as a go-to solution in France, particularly beyond the capital, where the vast majority of rentals take place. For the time being, in-person handovers are particularly common.
wherewear encourages users to post photos of the clothes being worn – wherewear
To finance its operations, Wherewear takes a commission from the owners. For example, for a dress bought for €250, the company recommends listing it at €40 for four days. The renter will pay the shipping costs but will get a dress at a more affordable price than buying new, and the owner will receive €32 after wherewear’s commission, with the option to rent it out again afterwards. A deposit is required at the time of rental to guard against damage to the item.
With a 100% repeat rate and an average of five daily sessions per user, the app now lists 3,000 items and has 1,500 registered customers since last June. Having grown purely organically to date, Wherewear plans to raise funds. Its founders hope to raise between €300,000 and €500,000 to finance further development of the app and boost its visibility.
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