HONG KONG and PARIS, Dec. 10, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- PPR acquires a majority stake in the Chinese fine jewellery brand Qeelin. The transaction should be finalized in January 2013.
Inspired from a millennium long Chinese cultural history, Qeelin turns mythical and superstitious Chinese symbols into timeless, meaningful and state of the art contemporary jewels. Launched in 2004, Qeelin is the first Chinese Luxury Jeweller to have developed an international network of boutiques in the most prestigious shopping districts worldwide. Qeelin is currently operating 14 boutiques (of which 7 in mainland China, 4 in Hong Kong and 3 in Europe) in addition to being listed in some of the trendiest multi-brand stores, such as Colette (Paris) and Restir (Tokyo).
By acquiring a majority stake in Qeelin, PPR is increasing its portfolio of luxury brands in the jewellery segment and its presence on the Chinese market. Qeelin has tremendous intrinsic growth potential and PPR will enable it to accelerate its expansion, notably through store openings in mainland China and Hong Kong.
Francois-Henri Pinault, Chairman and CEO of PPR, declared: "I am delighted that Qeelin is joining PPR's portfolio of luxury brands. Qeelin uniquely translates Chinese inspiration into fine contemporary jewellery design and shows strong growth potential in China and beyond. We thus have great ambitions for the brand and will make it benefit from our expertise and know-how, so that it can speed up its development."
Qeelin CEO and Co-Founder Guillaume Brochard declared: "PPR is the ideal strategic partner to lead our company towards a new stage in its development. Experience and information sharing within PPR will be very valuable." Dennis Chan, Qeelin Chairman, Co-Founder and Creative Director, added: "Qeelin invariably aims at bringing the best of contemporary Chinese design to the world. Joining PPR will enable us to write a new chapter of the brand’s history while preserving its unique and strong identity."
A unique Chinese fine jewellery brand
Qeelin uniquely blends tradition and modernity. The Brand's iconic Wulu collection revisits the legendary Chinese gourd filled with auspicious associations. Qeelin is also well known for its Bo Bo collection, featuring an articulated diamond panda bear, China's much treasured national hero. Even the Brand's name deeply reflects its identity as it refers to the "Qilin", an auspicious Chinese mythical animal and deeply rooted symbol of love, understanding and protection.
Ancient Chinese elements are revisited in a luxurious and innovative way. Dennis Chan, Qeelin Chairman, Co-founder and Creative Director, is a Chinese storyteller, and consistently adds elements of surprise and technicality into his creations to enchant the Qeelin client.
About PPR
The PPR Group empowers a coherent ensemble of Luxury and Sport & Lifestyle premium brands, specializing in apparel and accessories, to reach their full growth potential. Distributed in more than 120 countries, PPR generated revenues of EUR12.2 billion in 2011 and had over 47,000 employees at year end. The PPR share is listed on Euronext Paris (FR 0000121485, PRTP.PA, PPFP).
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About Qeelin
Qeelin turns mythical and superstitious Chinese symbols into timeless, meaningful and state of the art contemporary jewellery. The Brand was founded by renowned Chinese designer, Dennis Chan, and French entrepreneur, Guillaume Brochard. They merged their visions to create and nurture a unique brand that blends tradition and modernity. Qeelin is headquartered in Hong Kong and employs 50 people worldwide. www.qeelin.com
PPR contacts:
Press (France):
Mr. Paul Michon: +33 (0)1 45 64 63 48 -- pmichon@ppr.com
Ms. Helene Saint-Raymond: +33 (0)1 45 64 61 20 -- hsaint-raymond@ppr.com
Press (Mainland China & Hong Kong):
Brunswick -- Ms. Crystal Chan: +852 9669 3632 -- cchan@brunswickgroup.com
Analysts/Investors:
Mr. Alexandre de Brettes: +33 (0)1 45 64 61 49 - adebrettes@ppr.com
Mr. Edouard Crowley: +33 (0)1 45 64 63 28 - ecrowley@ppr.com
Qeelin press contacts:
Hong Kong -- Ms. Hoody Lam / Tel: +852 6015 0065 -- hoody@qeelin.com
Mainland China -- Ms. Shirley Jiang / Tel: +86 139 1116 2690 -- shirley@qeelin.com
France -- Ms Emilie Perl / Tel +33 6 0136 1395 -- emilie@qeelin.com
UK -- Ms. Marlene Goldsmith / Tel: +44 77 9074 0706 -- marlene@qeelin.com
