By Fiona Hurrell, Senior Contributing Reporter
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The newest and most extravagant shopping mall in the Cidade Maravilhosa, ‘The Village’ celebrated its grand opening last night amongst key fashion industry figures, business entrepreneurs and selected press. Situated in the city’s nouveaux rich Barra da Tijuca, The Village hosts a number of luxury stores including Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Tiffany & Co, Cartier and many more.
For some of these brands, like Gucci, it spells their first appearance as a store in Rio. Urias Tarques Jr. manages the new Gucci store and explains, “The mall is the perfect size for these type of stores. It is built with natural material yet very stylish and therefore in keeping with the style of Rio.”
The focus of the mall seems to be on fashion and lifestyle products yet the building also includes a theater built to hold a thousand people as well as VIP lounges and a cinema.
Maria Lucia Renault is part of Mulitiplan, the company behind The Village. She viewed the opening event as “A sophisticated evening to celebrate a wonderful shopping center and the emergence of international brands.”
The Village officially open its doors to customers today (December 4th) at 11AM and expects a great deal of interest thanks to its range of shops, including the new Apple Store, the first in Brazil.
Public Relations manager for the mall, Renata Jeadão spoke of her joy at the success of the event, stating, “We have had a great mix of people here from many industries and I think the staff here have really shown what a great place The Village is.”
To find out more about The Village, its stores and future opening times, visit the mall on Avenida das Americas 3700, Barra da Tijuca.
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