Escada's Movin' On Up

Escada (New York) signed a 15-year lease for its new store at 717 Fifth Ave. The retailer's new flagship is planned to open in September 2001.

The new location, which occupies 17,400 square feet, sits next to Hugo Boss on a recessed plaza at the corner of Fifth Avenue and 56th Street. It replaces the retailer's existing site, located around the corner at 7 E. 57th St. A neighboring Burberry store will assume the remaining space and is expected to perform its own remodeling project when the time comes.

While the new space is 2600 square feet smaller than the existing store, it will provide 17 more feet of store frontage, upping the linear stretch to 45 feet. And the space will now be laid-out over three large floors as compared to the narrower stack of six floors that make up the existing store.

Lawrence C. DeParis, co-president of Escada USA, hopes more window display space and better showcasing of jewelry and accessory lines will help promote the brand image, which the company has been revamping for the past two years.