Cole Haan in UK launch with Liberty, Selfridges

By

Sandra Halliday

Published
Mar 20, 2017

High-end US footwear specialist Cole Haan is launching into the UK this week via tie-ups with department stores Liberty and Selfridges with the brand saying this “signals the start of a wave of UK activity".

On Tuesday, it unveils its Grand.ØS. tech-led reinterpretation of contemporary and classic men's footwear silhouettes with an installation in Liberty in the men’s footwear department adjacent to the menswear rooms.

The Grand.ØS. system claims to offer greater flexibility, reduced weight, increased cushioning and breathability.

The collections featured in the Liberty installation will include GrandPrø Tennis, Øriginal Grand, ZerøGrand, and 2.ZerøGrand, priced from £100 to £225.
 
On the same day as the Liberty installation opens, the brand’s men’s collection will also be available on the Selfridges e-store, with a physical store launch to follow on April 4.

Last month the company also announced that it had won a place in the top 10 of the Style section in Fast Company's Most Innovative Companies for 2017 list. The annual ranking of the world's Most Innovative Companies looks at both nimble business practices and overall innovation.

The firm has been focused both on product innovation and store innovation and last autumn, president and COO Michael Prince said the company would “continue to expand its store fleet globally,” following the opening of a tech-enabled flagship in New York City’s Westfield World Trade Center.

The store, which featured a raft of innovations, including UberRUSH and the elimination of a traditional cash wrap, was only the second of its new design concept and the company said it would be used as a template for future openings.