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Article: FURLA EYES U.S. EXPANSION.
- Article from:
- Footwear News
- Article date:
- December 1, 2003
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2003 Conde Nast Publications, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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NEW YORK -- It may be more than 1,000 square feet, but to Furla executives, the brand's new flagship on Madison Avenue is a stepping stone -- albeit a strategic one.
According to Tonya Hawkes, Furla's creative director, and Michele Furlanetto, general manager of shoes and licenses and grandson of the company's founder, the new store plays into Furla's plans to build its name as an international fashion resource, target a younger consumer and strengthen its core consumer base.
"From an image point of view, the opening here is important," said Furlanetto, whose third-generation, family-founded firm is still run out of an 18th-century villa in Bologna. ...