Eva Herzigova opens “luxury” mall in Central Asia

The supermodel joined 1000 fellow VIPs for a glamorous evening to mark the opening of the Esentai Mall, in Almaty, Kazakhstan, where the world’s most luxurious brands are opening stores for the first time.

Saks Fifth Avenue is opening its first store in Asia at the mall and Louis Vuitton, Burberry, Stella McCartney, Gucci, Ralph Lauren, Dolce & Gabbana and Loro Piana are all entering the Kazakh market for the first time.

The brands are leading the fashion retail into Central Asia as they look to reach new customers in the rapidly growing economies of the region. Other brands opening at the Esentai Mall include Tommy Hilfiger and Fendi.

Party-goers were entertained by an aerial ballet before enjoying a fashion show and the formal opening by Eva Herzigova and Burak Oymen, the co-founder of Capital Partners, the mall developers.

Almaty is the financial, commercial and cultural capital of Kazakhstan and the financial services hub of Central Asia, with many international banks and businesses present in the city.

The US$450 million Esentai Mall project has been designed by architecture firm SOM, which is also behind the Time Warner Center in New York.

Esentai Mall has 160 stores including a 9,000sqm Saks Fifth Avenue shop, which spans three of the six storeys. In all, the mall has a total gross leasable area of 52,000 sqm and includes a food court and cinema.

Mr Oymen, co-founder of Capital Partners, said: “The opening of the Esentai Mall is a major milestone for Capital Partners, for Almaty and Kazakhstan".

“The opening of this store in Kazakhstan is a milestone for Louis Vuitton,” comments Yves Carcelle, Chairman and CEO of Louis Vuitton. “Since 1854, we have embraced the art of travel and opened stores in new destinations. Once again, the opening of our global store in Almaty will take place at an exciting time of economic growth. We will be more than happy to accompany this extraordinary country in its journey to become a new travel destination.”

The VIP party also included a champagne and cocktail reception supported by Moet & Chandon and Belvedere Vodka, accompanied by delicacies from renowned international chef, Tom Wolfe. The mall opened to the public on 20 October.

During the evening the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company announced it will create a five star hotel on the top floors of the neighbouring Esentai Tower.