Paul&Shark Returns to London With a Regent Street Flagship, Refreshed Branding
LONDON — Paul&Shark has returned to the British capital with a new flagship that’s a tribute to quiet luxury, tradition and family.
The family-owned Italian label has opened at 233 Regent Street in the former Lacoste space with neighbors including Apple, Longchamp and Tory Burch.
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The store, just a few steps from Oxford Circus, measures 2,580 square feet over two floors, and the focus is on sustainability.
More than 80 percent of the shopfit has been made from recycled materials or fabrics derived from production waste.
Tables, shelves and other furniture look as if they’re made from grainy blond wood, but they aren’t. Instead, the hard material has been created by a Danish company from fabric waste.
Andrea Dini, chief executive officer of Paul&Shark whose grandfather founded the company, said the versatile, composite material comes in slabs and can also be recycled.
During a walk-through, Dini described the new London unit as the brand’s European flagship. It is also the latest of Paul&Shark’s directly operated stores in Europe to reopen with the new design concept. Next up is the brand’s space at Rinascente in Milan, which is set to open on Friday.
Europe represents half of Paul&Shark’s business, and while Italy is the largest market, generating 10 percent of revenue, London is the brand’s window on the world.
Dini said that despite Brexit, and the government’s repeal of tax-free shopping in the U.K., London remains important for “American, Canadian, Middle Eastern and Chinese — as well as European — customers” visiting the British capital.
“For us, London, and the whole of the U.K., is a key market. We will keep investing in it, both from a communication and commercial perspective,” said Dini.
He’s thrilled with the location. The previous store was a franchise on Lower Regent Street, nearer to Piccadilly Circus, which doesn’t get the same quality of customers, or the footfall, as the area near Oxford Circus.
The old store shut during the pandemic after the lease ran out, and Dini said he immediately began looking for a better space.
The Regent Street flagship is directly operated, with interiors designed by the Milan-based BBA Studio. BBA’s client roster includes brands such as Missoni, Valentino, Bottega Veneta, Diesel and Balmain.
The store also showcases the new face of Paul&Shark.
“We’ve rebranded, and there’s no longer the word ‘yachting’ in the logo. This brand will always be about water, life by the sea, and protection from the rain and snow,” said Dini, adding that the goal is to broaden Paul&Shark’s appeal beyond yachting.
Dini said the brand has also re-embraced “clean lines, quiet luxury and outdoor elegance” and wants to be known for classic clothing that can be passed down through the generations.
He said tradition is in the DNA “of our company which was founded in Tuscany by my grandfather. He loved the sea in every season, and especially loved walking along the beach in the winter. That is why we want to make clothing that is protective,” and durable.
That’s also the reason that Paul&Shark booked Pierce Brosnan and his youngest son Paris for the fall 2023 and spring 2024 ad campaigns. The current campaign was shot at a castle in Tuscany with an underlying message of family and legacy.
As part of that message, the brand has installed a personalization station on the second floor where customers can have their pieces monogrammed, or stitched with flags or special messages.
The brand isn’t stopping with London, and has great global ambitions. Five new stores in China and two in India are in the works. The company is also planning to open units in Egypt, Iraq and Ukraine with local partners in the near future.
In 2024, the company will turn its attention to the U.S., with plans to open a flagship in Miami with its new distribution partner. Going forward, there are also plans to open in New York.
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