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Anything new in the offing?

We’re working on accessories and already have a small line in bags. We’ll be extending the range gradually.

Will there be a more exclusive Desigual line?

Our collections already include some products that are more expensive because they cost more to produce. Silk T-shirts are dearer than cotton. We try to be consistent in that respect. But our basic aim is to make our products affordable. We’re not interested in using high prices to make ourselves different.

“We’re opening a 900sq m shop in Portal del Ángel in Barcelona”

How many points of sale do you have?

We have 2,000 altogether of which 600 are here in Spain, 1,350 are elsewhere in Europe and some are outside the continent. Now we’re entering Asia and America. We’ve got 30 company-owned stores.

Any openings planned for the months ahead?

The major novelty is our new 900sq m shop in Portal del Ángel in Barcelona. We’re also negotiating on key premises in Madrid and London. In Spain, we’re opening shops in all the provincial capitals such as Seville, Oviedo and Malaga. These are all company-owned rather than franchise-run, because we like to learn the lessons ourselves. We believe in corporate development and we want to have full control over our shops.

“We’ll soon be opening in France and Italy”

What percentage of sales come from international markets?

Between 20% and 25%. Exports account for 50% of our sales through multi-brand outlets.

After Spain, where do you sell most?

France and Italy, which is a cause for great satisfaction because selling fashion in these countries is like trying to sell salmon in Scandinavia. Our products go down well and our prospects are excellent. We’ll soon have to open shops there to support our brand, probably next year. The logical step would be to start in Rome, where we’re already negotiating, or in Milan or Paris. For the time being we’re operating through multi-brand retailers.

What’s currently the big challenge for Desigual?

I've worked in Japan for most of my career and I think the colour and strength of our label would be a hit there. We’re also setting up a buying office in China and a logistics centre in Singapore.

What’s your next date with your trade clients?

We’ll be at CIFF in Copenhagen in August, at Who’s Next in Paris in September and, of course, at Bread & Butter Barcelona in July. We took part in the Berlin edition previously. We’ll be sticking to those three for the time being. In the future we may go to The Magic Marketplace in Las Vegas, but we’ll focus on Europe first.

More at www.desigual.es