Louis Vuitton eyes expansion into Lebanon

French fashion brand Louis Vuitton, which will open its flagship Middle East store in Dubai next month, is in the "final stages" of a planned expansion into Lebanon, a company official has said.

Damien Vernet, general manager for the fashion house's Middle East and India operations, said the company was also looking into Egypt, Jordan and in Syria as possible markets.

"The next market where there are opportunities is clearly Lebanon, which has been resilient to the crisis and has already shown to be a strong market for luxury," he told reporters.

"We are working on the final stages ... if we could not miss another summer that would be wonderful."

Louis Vuitton, whose wares are designed by Marc Jacobs and advertised by singer Madonna in glossy magazines, is part of luxury giant LVMH. The parent company derived about 30 percent of its sales from emerging markets in the second quarter, with China contributing the most.

The fashion house will officially open its first so-called "global store" at the Dubai Mall - which bills itself as the world's biggest mall - in October after a soft launch in August.

The store, spread across 645 square metres, will include the brand's global products as well as items designed specifically for the region. (Reuters)

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