Marc Jacobs Will Open on Both Fifth and Madison Avenues

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Opening that beauty store was only the tip of the expansion iceberg for Mr. Marc Jacobs: company president Robert Duffy told WWD that 2014 will be a year of major stateside growth for the brand. Two huge projects are slated for our fair city, and neither of them are on Bleecker Street.

Fifth Avenue will see a "very large" Marc by Marc Jacobs flagship, while Madison Avenue will be home to a Marc Jacobs Collection store. "We've never had a flagship store in New York City," said Duffy. "I've always opened smaller stores, like on Mercer Street and Bleecker Street. Now, LVMH is determined to help us achieve this dream."

Addresses have not yet been revealed for either location, but they'll be joining the ranks of Ralph Lauren and Valentino in the dual Fifth Avenue/Madison Avenue flagship operation. Much like Ralph Lauren, whose Fifth Avenue location will be dedicated to the mall-friendly Polo brand, MJ has chosen to place the lower-priced line (read: tourist cash cow) on the heavily trafficked strip.

Similarly, Valentino plans to put emphasis on accessories, which move quickly with the out-of-town souvenir crowd, at their upcoming four-story Fifth Avenue flagship. MJ will need to move a lot of those swallow hardwared bags to pay the rent on the avenue, which just broke the $3,000-per-square-foot marker.

Selecting Madison Avenue for the collection store fits right in line with the model Ralph and Valentino have set: leave the off-the-runway garb for the wealthy residents of the UES, the folks who might actually buy full-priced RTW.

Additional expansions could include more beauty stores, as well as licensed categories including fine jewelry and furniture.
· Marc Jacobs Opens First Beauty Store [WWD]
· The Marc Jacobs Beauty Store Isn't Sold Out Yet [Racked NY]
· Ralph Lauren Fifth Ave Will Be a Polo Flagship (With a Restaurant) [Racked NY]
· Valentino's Fifth Avenue Flagship Will Probably Be Glorious [Racked NY]