Jon Abrahamsson
appointed new CEO
PRESS The Board of Directors of Filippa K has appointed Jon Abrahamsson as the CEO of Filippa K, effective as of 1st December 2008. Jon succeeds Patrik Kihlborg, who has held the position of Interim CEO for a while.
Jon Abrahamsson is 35 years old and has extensive experience of sales, logistics and management in the retail sector. For the past 10 years, Jon has worked for IKEA, most recently in the role of Vice President of IKEA China, where he was responsible for a turnover of ca. SEK 6 billion and 1,500 employees.
“After a comprehensive recruitment process, the Board is delighted to be able to appoint Jon Abrahamsson to the position of CEO. Jon is a creative and down-to-earth person whose career provides ample proof of his strong leadership skills and mercantile expertise. We have every confidence in his ability to further Filippa K’s development and to promote the company’s expansion and profitability in the long term,” says Anders Slettengren, Chairman of Filippa K.
“I’m delighted by Jon’s appointment and look forward to continuing to develop Filippa K together. His experience is an excellent complement to the company’s in-house expertise and is what is needed for us to take the next step forward in our development,” says Filippa Knutsson, Creative Director of Filippa K.
The Hague
continued expansion in The Netherlands
PRESS Filippa K is please to announce the opening of its fourth concept store in The Netherlands on Plaats 17 in The Hague. Located in the city square the store will be the 41st Filippa K store to open worldwide.
The store is designed by long-time architectural partner Aaro Arkitekter and located in a traditionally Dutch stone house with gable towards the city square. The architectural idea is based around material contrast and modern room interiors. A narrow entrance room completely covered in thin bamboo leads in to a light more complex and abstract world where the Scandinavian simplicity of the brand is fully displayed.
The men’s and women’s departments placed on each side of the store, stretch into the 190 square-meter store where a coffee bar has been placed centrally.
”We are pleased to further deepen our collaboration with our Dutch partners by opening this store in the Hague. We strongly believe in this type of collaboration as a way of expanding and will continue to grow this way” - says Patrik Kihlborg, CEO.
The store will carry a full range of the women’s and men’s collection as well as the shoe, bag and accessory line from Filippa K, a brand known for its coherent design philosophy of style, simplicity and quality.
The store is set to open in September with an exclusive opening event on Saturday, 27th of September 2008.
Hamburg
next major concept store
PRESS Filippa K continues to expand in Germany with the opening of a major new concept store in Hamburg, its fifth in Germany. As consumer demand keeps growing, Germany has become Filippa K’s most important growth market.
Filippa K launches a 400 m2 concept store in a beautiful three-story Jugendstil building in the heart of Hamburg’s most fashionable shopping district. The store will carry the full range of women’s and men’s fashion, shoes, bags, and accessories from Filippa K - known for a distinct Scandinavian design style that combines minimal urban elegance with high fashion. Since its foundation in Sweden in 1993, Filippa K has grown rapidly with concept stores in Sweden, Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and Switzerland, as well as by 750 selected retailers worldwide.
Germany has become Filippa K’s most important growth market. In addition to the Hamburg location, Filippa K has opened several concept stores in Munich, Berlin and Düsseldorf. Filippa K is also represented by some 100 selected retailers throughout Germany, such as AVE in Stuttgart, Stierblut in Munich and Kadewe in Berlin and Munich.
”We have received a fantastic response from our German customers, and we are investing heavily in the German market. In the long term, we expect Germany to become our biggest and most important market.” says Jan Carl Adelswärd, CEO.
Housed in a classic Jugendstil building next to a small square, the new Hamburg location is reminiscent of an exclusive little department store with a grand entrance hall and exceptionally high ceilings and windows that create a bright, elegant ambience of style, simplicity and quality.
Designed by Aaro Arkitekter, the unique architecture expresses the essence of the Filippa K design philosophy: a stylish combination of classic elegance, serene minimalism and contemporary urban edge. Mixing the classic with the contemporary, the majestic former auction hall has been carefully updated to a stylishly modern Filippa K concept store. The original whitewashed stone walls and stucco have been juxtaposed with modern ash wood floors, minimal white interiors and edgy details such as concrete, platinum backdrops and silk drapes.
Located on Hohe Bleichen 28, the new store will launch with a large opening event on May 8th for a select group of guests from the Hamburg fashion, media, music and art scene. The next day, the store opens its door to the public.
Fair Wear Foundation
continuation of long-term CSR commitment
PRESS Filippa K continues the long-term CSR commitment by opening up a collaboration with Dutch organization Fair Wear Foundation.
As a result of Filippa K’s CSR work the company has chosen to begin a collaboration with special interest organization Fair Wear Foundation.
Fair Wear Foundation works with securing labour conditions at organization members suppliers and helps members with independent controls and inquiries. The main purpose of the collaboration between FIlippa K and Fair Wear Foundation will be inspecting suppliers, implementation of any possible changes and a focused work towards improvement.
“After having looked around in the market for partners who would be able to help Filippa K’s CSR-work, we found Fair Wear Foundation to be the ones who matched our values the most. We believe in a long-term commitment where we, together with suppliers and Fair Wear Foundation will be able to make the biggest difference. It is hard for us to operate this on our own but we believe that with Fair Wear Foundations network, experience and knowledge we will be able to reach better results in a shorter time-span. ” says Maj-La Pizzeli, Product Director Filippa K.
The work which means greater transparency from Filippa K as well as its suppliers is a way for the company to furthermore show its commitment and long-term thinking in the production-line. Together with Fair Wear Foundation Filippa K wishes to use the synergy effects of its good relationships with suppliers in conjunction with Fair Wear Foundations local expertise and authority.
“Fair Wear Foundation is delighted to welcome the Swedish high fashion brand Filippa K as a member of the organization. We know that Filippa K will put a lot of effort in the improvement of labour conditions in factories of their suppliers. We look forward to working together. The partnership between FWF and Filippa K will hopefully be inspiring for other Swedish brands”. says Monique van’t Hek interim Director Fair Wear Foundation.
Fair Wear Foundation is regarded as one of the most credible organizations in the trade with a global network. The foundation has specialized in local complex of problems with the help of regional collaboration-partners where independent inspections are conducted.
Zürich
second concept store in Switzerland
PRESS Filippa K continues its Swiss expansion with the opening of a second Filippa K concept store in the prestigious area around Schweizergasse in Zurich.
Following the success of the first Filippa K concept store in Zurich’s Sihlcity, Filippa K now launches a unique new concept store on Schweizergasse. The second store will now open located just a block from the legendary shopping avenue Bahnhofstrasse and next door to the classic department store Globus in the heart of Zurich’s most prestigious shopping area. The new concept store will carry a wide selection of men’s and women’s collections as well as the accessories line from Filippa K - known for a distinct Scandinavian design style that combines minimal urban elegance with high fashion.
“This is the perfect location for us so we’re incredibly happy and proud to open our second concept store in Switzerland on such classic ground”, says Jan Carl Adelswärd, CEO.
Designed by longtime Filippa K architects Aaro Arkitekter, the 90 m2 space is characterised by a stylish fusion of simple geometric forms and sensual natural materials, creating a light, serene ambience of style, simplicity and quality. With floors of diamond milled Swedish limestone, black rubber and wool carpet, the space playfully mixes modern elements such as Corian and Plexiglass with the warm presence of classic elmwood veneer.
Switzerland is an increasingly important market for Filippa K and the company plans to further continue its Swiss expansion.
“Switzerland has quickly become an important growth market for us and we want to continue to invest here. The store on Schweizergasse is a natural follow up on our success in Sihlcity”, says Jan Carl Adelswärd, CEO.
The new store opens to the public on Schweizergasse 10 today, followed by an exclusive opening event tonight for a select group of guests from the Zurich fashion, media, music and art scene.
