Raoul shutters Singapore flagship to focus on wholesale

By

Benjamin Fitzgerald

Published
Apr 29, 2016

Raoul, the affordable luxury brand, has shuttered its Singapore flagship store on Paragon Road. The move signals a shift to wholesale for the brand with a key focus on US, UK and the Middle East.

Raoul started as a men's shirt brand in 2002 by Singapore-based company FJ Benjamin, before expanding into women’s fashion and accessories. Under the creative direction of design-duo, Douglas and Odile Benjamin, Raoul soon became touted as one of Singapore's biggest womenswear exports.

Despite its non-European appeal and exploding accessories line, Raoul discontinued its struggling menswear collection in 2015. The downturn then continued, when in February this year, Raoul closed its Paragon Road flagship, the last of its Singapore standalone stores.

While its retail space in Singapore has downsized substantially, the brand still maintains a physical presence worldwide. Raoul recently opened a boutique in Doha in Qatar and continues to trade at Robinsons department store located on Singapore's Orchard Road. 

The company is now focused on wholesaling to the US, UK and Middle East. Harrods, Harvey Nichols and Liberty of London are current Raoul UK accounts. Raoul is also stocked at Saks and Neiman Marcus in the US stockists and KaDeWe in Germany.

Additionally, Raoul's showrooms in New York and in Milan will continue to operate during the cities' official fashion weeks.