Last weekend, New Balance opened the doors to its first-ever retail concept in the Middle East located in Yas Mall, Abu Dhabi.
Designed with the consumer in mind, the new space is built around the central seating system for visitors to take their time whilst they shop for a more relaxed retail experience. As well as stocking the athletic brand’s staple collections, the store includes visual storytelling around its products for an immersive shopping journey. The Abu Dhabi concept space will also be hosting a range of activations for the local community — furthering its presence in the region’s contemporary culture scene.
Stocking an array of footwear and apparel, its curation hones in on the label’s elite athletic pieces as well as lifestyle offerings, looking to tap into all facets of the brand’s legacy. Accompanying its launch, the latest GANNI x New Balance 1906 collab, first unveiled at Copenhagen Fashion Week SS24, was also stocked exclusively for the store opening.1 of 8
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To commemorate its unveiling, Hypebeast Arabia moderated a panel talk at the new store, enlisting local creatives Rami Afifi, Nader Almahri and Zeyaanah El Guthmy to discuss the immense growth of sneaker culture in the region. As well as touching on their personal experiences, such as Afifi being denied entry into clubs for his footwear choices in his early days to now the community being bigger than ever, the talk covered New Balance’s strong presence in the Middle East, the new store and latest GANNI collaboration.
Check out the recap visuals from the opening of New Balance’s Yas Mall, Abu Dhabi store above. For more information, visit the brand’s website.
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