US designer denim brand Ed Hardy is to make its UK debut with a standalone store in London in spring next year.

The retailer, founded by French fashion designer Christian Audigier, will open in London after making its European entry with the launch of a store in Paris in November. The 2,500 sq ft shop on Rue de Rennes will sit alongside retailers such as Zara, Burberry, Cartier and Benetton.

Ed Hardy, famous for its tattoo-inspired clothing worn by celebrities such as Britney Spears, Madonna and Paris Hilton, has hired CBRE to advise on its international expansion plans.

Having secured the Paris site, CBRE is searching for central London premises. Several locations are being mooted, including Floral Street, South Molton Street, Savile Row and Burlington Gardens.

CBRE head of EMEA cross-border retail Peter Gold said: “Ed Hardy wanted to find sites in France and the UK to start its European expansion and, after that, we will look at other European countries.”

Gold said that Spain is another priority after opening the first UK store and the retailer will then look for flagship sites in several European countries.

Ed Hardy has flagship stores in the US, Australia, Taiwan, Dubai, Singapore, Thailand, Japan and Korea. It also has concessions across the world.

Gold said the brand will be desirable in many locations. “In the UK, Ed Hardy would be along the lines of Diesel or G-Star and could easily work well in lots of places. The intention is to drive brand presence with flagships across Europe before expanding in the UK,” he said.

Christian Audigier is known as the king of jeans, having designed for Levi’s, Diesel and Lee.

In 2005, he left Von Dutch to launch Ed Hardy. He was motivated by the artwork of tattoo artist Don Ed Hardy and they created the clothing line together.

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