An iconic fashion retailer in Manchester, which was the first to stock debut collections from the late Alexander McQueen, has reopened following a transformation.
Hervia has relaunched its flagship store following its acquisition by investor Rami Cassis' Parabellum Investments in May 2022.
The Hervia Bazaar store first opened in 1993 and stocks the likes of Rick Owens, Yohji Yamamoto, Comme des Garçons, Y-3, Maison Margiela, DSM, and Charles Jeffrey Loverboy.
READ MORE: Click here to sign up to the BusinessLive North West newsletter
The store closed in order to bring Hervia's head office, e-commerce operations, and stock holdings under one roof alongside its retail space.
Founder Oscar Pinto-Hervia has retained a stake in the group and has remained chief executive following the takeover.
In the 1990s, Hervia made its name because of its popularity among The Haçienda nightclub-goers as well as being frequented by the likes of boyband Take That.
When it was bought last year, Mr Cassis said he intended for Hervia to become the basis for further acquisitions in the fashion and retail space, with a view to becoming a new independent Manchester-based 'supergroup'.
The 'supergroup' is expected to be a platform for emerging and early-career British, French, and other international designers.
Mr Cassis started out in management, engineering, and consulting and established his family office in 2012.
His other recent investments include tech and fintech firms including Parseq, Advanco, and ieDigital.
Mr Pinto-Hervia arrived from Chile as a refugee in 1978 and later founded Hervia in 1993.
He said: "This reopening is momentous for Hervia. This is the first phase in a plan to build the brand into something truly incredible.
"It is particularly exciting to be holding this reopening in our 30th year of business. I am looking forward to continuing to work at the heart of the Manchester fashion community for another thirty years.
"Having Rami on board has allowed us to be even more ambitious with our strategy, and, with his expertise, lay the groundwork for the expansion of Hervia well into the future."
Mr Cassis added: "The reopening of Hervia’s flagship store is a really exciting moment in our plan for the brand’s growth.
"Hervia and Oscar have a proven track record of providing a platform for emerging designers, both British and international. We want to keep that at the core of Hervia while we evolve the business.
"The future of Hervia is all about investing in the business from top to bottom, fine-tuning the best customer experience, and expanding into untapped markets at home and abroad."
READ MORE:
