North East premium streetwear retailer END Clothing is set to expand into Europe by opening a store in the international fashion capital of Milan.
The trendy trainer company was first launched in a small store on Newcastle’s High Bridge in 2005 by university graduates Christiaan Ashworth and John Parker, quickly gaining a following for rare footwear.
Expansion into a three-storey building on Grainger Street saw it draw more followers, with many shoppers camping out overnight for its limited-edition designer trainer releases.
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As well as its two Newcastle stores, the company also has shops in London and Glasgow, as well as plans to open in Manchester in summer.
Now the firm has revealed it is set to take its cool fashions overseas, by opening in the home of fashion – Milan, Italy.
The news was revealed in LinkedIn posts highlighting a recruitment drive for a store manager in the Italian city, directing interested applicants to its website.
The job call-out says: “END. currently has four bricks and mortar stores in the UK with a fifth opening in Manchester in Summer 2022. The Milan Flagship Retail Store will be our first store outside of the UK, which makes this one of our most exciting ventures to date. The store will showcase the latest streetwear, womenswear and lifestyle brands in our portfolio; it will offer a new consumer experience for our Italian customers. Which makes this a brilliant opportunity for the right person to be a pioneer in our international expansion as the Flagship Store Manager.”
News of the European expansion comes a year after Carlyle become majority shareholders in the company in a £750m deal.
The founding pair remain at the company as co-CEOs, while also retaining a significant minority stake.
END is one of the region’s most hotly tipped companies, having won inclusion on a number of national league tables for fast-growing businesses in recent years, mostly through the success of its international online operation. The company boasts sales of more than £170m, two thirds of which is overseas, and now has a workforce of more than 650 people.
Last October it also enlisted former Gucci CEO Patrizio di Marco as its new chairman.
