Dubai: The alliance between the Italian label Roberto Cavalli and Pragma has become stronger with a network of Cavalli-branded clubs and cafes in the region and beyond.
There will be five new clubs and 15 cafes opened in Beirut, Istanbul, Mumbai, Shanghai and Sao Paulo over the next five years.
Investments are estimated in the range of $150 million. In the first phase, two clubs and three cafes will open. In the second, which will be over a three-year timeframe, an additional 10 outlets will be opened.
They were to be funded through finance dedicated to expanding the Pragma Group's lifestyle business, a company spokesman said.
The two entities worked together to create a Cavalli Club in Dubai, which opened about a year ago.
"The Cavalli Club Dubai represents probably the best interpretation of the lifestyle I have been creating with my fashion," said Roberto Cavalli, founder and chairman of the business that carries his name.
Fashion accessories
"Together with the experience of the Pragma Group, we will further expand the network of Clubs for entertaining my followers in some of the most important cities of the world."
In its core business of fashion, the Cavalli name has become popular since its launch in the early 1970s. The women's and men's range was then extended into fashion accessories.
"We are making a substantial investment to facilitate this expansion and this is being conducted on the back of extensive research that has revealed a real hunger in the emerging markets for the branded lifestyle experience," said Joe Tabet, chairman of the Pragma Group of Lebanon.
