Hammerson announces that it has secured leading international fashion retailers, Cos, &Other Stories and Anthropologie as well as internationally renowned restaurant group, D&D to join aspirational retail brands, Maje and the White Company at the £165 million Victoria Gate development. This marks an all-important Leeds debut for each of the three fashion retailers.

Cos has signed up to take a 590m2 (6,403 sq ft) store, split across the ground and first floor. The retailer, with its range of clothing and accessories that offers reinvented classics and wardrobe essentials, has opened stores worldwide in carefully considered locations since its launch in 2007. Its store in Victoria Gate will be the brand's first standalone store in the North of England. Cos already has a store at Bullring, also part of Hammerson shopping centre portfolio.

For international fashion retailer, &Other Stories its 735 m2 (7,922 sq ft) store will be its first store in Leeds and only its third in the UK. Also set out across two floors, &Other Stories offers women a diversified collection of high-quality shoes, bags, accessories, beauty and ready-to-wear fashion, designed by its creative ateliers in Paris and Stockholm.

American brand, Anthropologie will take a 807 m2 (8,697 sq ft) unit over the ground and first floor. Taking inspiration from the worlds of fashion, art and entertaining, the aspirational retailer provides customers with unique and covetable pieces. Its Victoria Gate store will be the brand's flagship in the North of England.

Leading global restaurant group, D&D boasting Michelin stars amongst its 34 strong portfolio, will take a 725m2 (7,807 sq ft) rooftop unit which will include an outside dining terrace. The group has a string of highly successful restaurants in the UK including London based Quaglino's, Le Pont de la Tour, Bluebird and the recently opened, German Gymnasium in Kings Cross as well as restaurants in New York, Copenhagen and Tokyo.

Already anchored by a flagship John Lewis store, Victoria Gate includes a two-street covered arcade and rooftop that provides the perfect setting to accommodate new aspirational retailers and restaurants. The scheme is set to transform the retail and dining offer in Leeds by enticing brands that have never before had a presence outside of London. Following the launch of Victoria Gate next year, the new 53,400m2 (574,745 sq ft) Victoria Estate, which encompasses Victoria Quarter, will become the city's new, premium retail, dining and leisure quarter.

Robin Dobson, Director Retail Development at Hammerson, said: 'Securing this fantastic line-up of high-end retailers as well as D&D, which is a significant first in Hammerson's shopping centre portfolio, is a great result for the development. By creating a unique retail and dining environment at Victoria Gate, which is a modern interpretation of the Grade-II listed Victoria Quarter, the development provides the perfect opportunity for aspirational brands to step outside of London and build a presence in Leeds; a city which is already one of top three places to shop in the UK* outside of London with the potential to become a world class, retail, dining and leisure destination.'

ENDS

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