The venerable, Paris-based brand is opening a dual-purpose site in Manhattan, allowing the public to shop and the brand to build its U.S. licensing business.

On Wednesday, the 76-year-old brand launches a dual-purpose site in Manhattan’s SoHo neighborhood, serving as a showroom to attract potential licensees as well as a store for the public to shop the collection.

“I would like to boost our network of licensees in the U.S.,” said Rodrigo Basilicati-Cardin, designer and president of Pierre Cardin, and the great nephew of the late French designer Pierre Cardin, in an interview with WWD.

Partners and sales teams will be able to see what Pierre Cardin stands for at the new location, where there will be a curated edit of the brand’s offerings, including eyewear, ties, handbags, fragrance, 3D-printed T-shirts, and a small couture line. The larger goal is to bring new manufacturers on board as long-term licensing partners. The SoHo site marks the first time Pierre Cardin has had a showroom in the U.S. in many years. In the ’80s, Cardin opened a corporate office at 53 East 57th Street in New York City, which served as a showroom and for managing the licensing business in the U.S.

The new site will facilitate licensing efforts by providing a central place where Cardin executives, in particular Matthew Gonder, Cardin’s U.S. and Canada licensing agent, can regularly meet with suppliers, eliminating much of the need for Cardin officials to travel as much as they did to meet with manufacturers.

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