Setting the bar for high fashion retail

In the business of fashion, it's all about detail. That's the doctrine Ziad Matta has lived by ever since he staked a claim in it about 10 years ago.

Today, as he prepares to extend his brand in the form of a 30,000 square foot boutique in the heart of new Dubai, that same ideology will continue to permeate through the organisation, he says.

"In our business, attention to detail is everything," he told me, a few days before last night's grand opening of the Boutique 1 store at Dubai's latest landmark – The Walk in Jumeirah Beach Residence (JBR).

"We do not cut corners. So everything has to be right… it has to be perfect."

Matta, who is the CEO of Sifico Fashion, admitted to being slightly anxious.

"There are always 101 little snags I have to look into before an opening. A lot of people have put a lot of effort into this. So there is pressure to deliver."

But last night, as the city's chic set rubbed shoulders with some of the biggest names in international fashion, the mood set to the music of international jazz/pop sensation Jamie Cullum, Matta seems to have validated his stance.

"It's not just a business for us, it is a passion. It is something we want to see grow and develop," says the 41-year-old.

An extension of the five-year-old high-end Boutique 1 store in Emirates Towers, the new outlet at JBR will offer the same shopping experience in a slightly different setting. Additions, such as the furniture and product design departments, art gallery, a spa, café and a book shop have been incorporated. Like its sister store, the new boutique will stock more than 200 established designers including exclusive collections from Missoni, Elie Saab, Oscar de la Renta, Mulberry and Chloé.

"It's been quite an adventure," recalls Matta, who opened Dubai's first Furla store in 2000 with his wife and business partner Lena. "When we started out, fashion retailing was out of the ordinary. Then, three years later, when we set out to open our 30,000 sq ft high-fashion retail store in Emirates Towers, everyone thought we were crazy.

"But the situation has changed drastically. And now, with so many players in the segment, we wanted to offer something new, something different. And that is how this new store came about."

The first step, says Matta, was to pick a location that was "unprecedented". "We wanted to move out from the mall environment so we could created our own atmosphere," he reveals.

"Then, we started to introduce a lot of new components such as designer furniture, an art gallery and book store, etc. The idea was to utilise the size of a department store without losing the spirit of an independent boutique with personalised service."

Another highlight, adds the Chief Executive, is the extensive use of Dacryl in the interiors. A decorative embedded acrylic and glass with integrated LEDs, Boutique 1 will feature the largest scale of the technique ever used.

But this is not the time for extravagance, what with cracks starting to appear in the global luxury goods makers – a segment that until recently said it was untouched by the financial crises.

A recent study by business and strategy consulting firm Bain and Co revealed that the sector had a turnover of €170 billion (Dh802bn) last year and is estimated to reach €175bn in 2008, up three per cent. This follows a 6.5 per cent growth last year.

Boutique 1's Matta says he is well aware of the possible impact those numbers could have to his business.

"We are concerned but at the same time, when we build a store like this, we do it for the long term," he says. "You just have to take them all in your stride.

"We are doing very well. We haven't experienced a slowdown in our sales. We haven't seen the effects. Maybe it will eventually come, but that doesn't affect our planning."

And plans, he has many. March 2009 will see the opening of the first Boutique 1 store in Beirut.

"My wife and I are from Lebanon, we have an attachment to that place," says Matta. "But we have also seen a gap and know that there is something missing we can offer."

Sifico Fashion LLC, soon to be renamed Boutique 1 Group, runs six stand-alone shops in Dubai including Chloé, Furla and Missoni. It is also eyeing other emirates while plans are already underway to set up a third Boutique 1 in Dubai.

"By 2010 we will have another store. We want to consolidate our position in Dubai," says Matta.

And in an often fleeting industry, where the hottest piece of clothing fades away by the next season, it is his hands-on approach that has ensured the Boutique 1 brand's success and development.

"You will often see Lena and I on the shop floor all the time, making sure we are on top of it all," says the father-of-three.

"This is our baby. We are not looking to sell, we are not considering IPOs… and eventually I want my kids to take over."


Fashion forward

If you could transport the entire Boutique 1 store and plant it in any of the world's haute-est cities, say Paris, Milan or London, it wouldn't be a garment out of place, Nicole Robertson will tell you.
"What is available at our store in Dubai, is what is available in the fashion capitals of the world now," says the store's fashion and buying director whose job it is to travel the world and scour for the hippest, latest and most unique collections from some of the top designers. "You could put this store anywhere and it will still be one of the most amazing boutiques."

After more than four years with Sifico Fashion, Robertson, quite simply, is the face behind the fabulous clothes at the two Boutique 1 stores. Her role, she says, is to ensure the brand and its stores have one focused direction, and that every single product, display and decision falls in line.

"Our concept is to marry fashion with art. From books, music and furniture to the products and service, it's all artistically conceptualised," she says. "Our strength is having a great mix of products. From established names to new, interesting contemporary and locally-based designers, you will find them all here."

"Every store has a personality. And because I understand the clients, their requirements and needs I wanted this philosophy to be reflected across the new store.

"I think fashion retail in Dubai has had a reputation for playing it safe. But that is not the case now." What is fashionable in Dubai, is what is in New York or London."