Luxury outerwear brand Nobis opened three stores in Beijing and Shanghai, marking the brand’s entry into the Chinese retail space. The expansion is the “first step in a joint venture with Ellassay, a dominant player in China’s luxury fashion sector,” reported the company.
Nobis said the collaboration “draws on the strengths of both brands and solidifies the Nobis brand commitment to innovation and quality” and leverages “Ellassay’s profound understanding of the Chinese consumer, expert distribution and esteemed brand-building track record.”
Robin Yates, VP and co-founder of Nobis, said, “Nobis is ranked a Top 3 luxury outerwear brand in South Korea by sales volume, with 30 locations in top department stores, and we’re eager to start that journey in China with our new partners at Ellassay.”
The company said the first retail stores are in Beijing’s SKP and Galeries Lafayette and Shanghai’s Réel Mall and offer a “complete brand experience with core and new collections.”
According to a 2022 report published by Chinadaily, Beijing’s SKP department store earned recognition as the nation’s largest and most productive shopping mall in 2021. The report highlighted a 40 percent yearly increase, reaching a sales volume of 24.7 billion yuan, as reported by Winshang.com, a Chinese commercial property outlet.
The collaboration between Nobis, known for its blend of technical performance and design, and Ellassay, with its “distinguished brand roster and strong relationships,” lays the foundation for future developments.
“As an innovative product-first company, customers will experience the quality of Nobis icons styles like Aura and Yves firsthand, as well as fashion-forward additions like Dyna, Aspen and Isla,” commented Kevin Au-Yeung, president and co-founder of Nobis. “We welcome the consumer to visit our stores and learn how we design with purpose in mind, our mid-layers, performance outerwear, and technical accessories all working together to build a technical apparel wardrobe for today’s climates.”
Photo courtesy of Nobis
