Vogue Café and GQ Bar to open in Dubai Mall

Dubai Mall is preparing to welcome the Vogue café and a GQ bar, both titles belonging to Condé Nast.

Diversification is the name of the game over at Condé Nast. The international publishing house responsible for Vogue , Vanity Fair , Glamour and GQ already has designs on a fashion college , and is now set to conquer the Middle East with a Vogue café and GQ bar.

A new Vogue Café (there is already one in Russia) is slated to launch in Dubai by the end of the year, but this being glossy fashion bible Vogue , it will be housed inside the world's largest shoe store.

Level Shoe District, a 96,000 sq ft luxury retail space, will stock more than 250 shoe brands and is situated in Dubai Mall at the foot of the world's tallest skyscraper - the 828 metre-high Burj Khalifa.

"The expatriate community and the local Emirati community are very conscious of brands," said Stuart Nielsen, director of Conde Nast's restaurant division, which was launched in 2010. "People always love to eat and drink, and we see an opportunity because they love fashion."

The Vogue Café will not serve alcohol, but a hotel-based bar inspired by its men's title, GQ , is being plotted for launch in Dubai early next year, would.

The company is planning to open another GQ Bar in Istanbul this year, and has signed deals for Condé Nast establishments in Bangkok and Singapore, Nielsen said. It is also considering opening cafés in Mideast cities closer to Dubai, including Kuwait City and the Emirati capital, Abu Dhabi.

BURBERRY falling Down!!

Indeed... The market is changing, and so are the market players!

Luxury goods maker Burberry shocked the markets on Wednesday with a warning that sales had stalled in the clearest sign yet that slowing demand from China is having an impact on the booming sector.

The profit warning wiped £1bn off Burberry's market value, sending shares in the 156-year-old fashion house down nearly 21% to £10.87. Following disappointment from Coach and Ralph Lauren in recent weeks, this is the first major disappointment for European luxury brands, analysts said. The shine has also come off sales at New York-based jeweller Tiffany, with Europeans and Asians buying fewer $65,000 (£40,000) diamond necklaces and $10,000 amethyst earrings.

Experts predict the global slowdown will prompt the rise of more affordable luxury lines and lead to Chinese shoppers becoming more discerning in what they buy.

Burberry, known for its trademark camel, red and black check, said like-for-like sales ground to a halt in the 10 weeks to 8 September and have started to fall in recent weeks. Total sales including new space were up 6%. It warned that profits before tax for the year to March 2013 would be at the lower end of City expectations, which ranged from £407m to £455m.

Burberry's chief executive Angela Ahrendts said: "As we stated in July, the external environment is becoming more challenging."

Sales of luxury goods in China tripled in value in the last five years, according to Euromonitor International. Its burgeoning middle classes have become key clientele for Burberry and other international luxury brands including France's LVMH, Hermes and Gucci owner PPR, splurging on western designer fashion and handbags.