Giulio set to join Flannels in Kingston’s new designer store openings

Cambridge mainstay men’s and women’s designer emporium Giulio will be opening in Kingston Upon Thames, Surrey, in 2021 – doors up the high street from the soon-to-open new Flannels store.

Giulio will take a unit formerly occupied by Monsoon while Flannels will take a unit that previously housed a branch of Gap. Both units are currently being renovated.

Giulio, established in 1982, and these days selling the likes of Armani, Balenciaga, Burberry, Canada Goose, C.P. Company, Stone Island, Gucci, Moschino, Kenzo, Off-White, Valentino, Ten C and Vivienne Westwood, was acquired by JD Sports Fashion in July 2019 for an undisclosed sum – though the business continues to be run by stylish businessman and founder Giulio Cinque and family.

Flannels was founded in Cheshire in 1976 by menswear retail entrepreneur Neil Prosser, but was acquired by the Mike Ashley-owned Frasers Group plc (formerly Sports Direct International plc) in 2012, which has overseen a number of elaborate designer retail openings – including the 18,000sq ft store on London’s Oxford Street in September 2019.

Both JD Sports Fashion and the Frasers Group continue to go head-to-head to dominate the high street and the now massive online fashion market, with established independents increasingly becoming part of their retail portfolios.

Giulio Cinque comments: “I’m looking forward to opening in Kingston. Giulio had significant investment from JD last year. They saw it as a very important part of their strategic plan, and it’s a nice opportunity for us. All I can say is, they are amazing and really want to invest in us. Kingston is the start.”