Liz Claiborne to Open Store in South Coast Mall

The Liz Claiborne label, already a common sight in local department stores, is about to get its own home at the South Coast Plaza.

Mall officials said Wednesday that Liz Claiborne, a designer name most closely associated with upscale women’s wear, will open a store under its own name in the mall this August. The store will carry perfumes, shoes, accessories, and women’s and men’s apparel.

Besides the main store, Liz Claiborne will also operate a smaller outlet at the mall, called First Issue, featuring more casual women’s wear.

The landing of Liz Claiborne is in keeping with mall’s recently announced plan to add more glitzy, Beverly Hills-type stores while weeding out smaller, less profitable operations.

As part of its long-range plan, the mall is undergoing the most extensive remodeling in its 23-year history.

The planned Liz Claiborne store is also a part of the trend among successful designer labels to open their own outlets even as department stores in the same shopping centers continue to offer their merchandise.

Under the most recent agreement, Liz Claiborne plans to open a 11,552-square-foot store under its own name on the mall’s second floor between Carrousel Court and the May Co. department store, said South Coast Plaza spokeswoman Maura Eggan. The First Issue store will occupy 4,531 square feet.

The main outlet will be the 10th in a chain that started last April with the opening of the first Liz Claiborne store in Novi, Mich., near Detroit, said Deirdre Deutsch, director of the training and market development for Liz Claiborne in New York.