Simkhai Opens Miami and Houston Stores, Targets Nine Doors by 2027

Simkhai will open two new U.S. stores this fall, bringing its retail fleet to six doors, with at least three additional locations planned for 2027. The Los Angeles-based luxury label confirmed the openings in an interview, marking its most significant retail expansion since founder Jonathan Simkhai launched the business in New York in 2010.

The first store, a 1,200-square-foot unit at the Shops at Bal Harbour in Miami, opens later this month. The Houston store, at 1,700 square feet in River Oaks District, follows in early November. Both will carry the fall, holiday and pre-spring collections across women's clothing, accessories and men's clothing.

The Miami store was designed by architecture firm Stimuli and features Navona travertine flooring, neutral walls and metal details, alongside a sculpture and custom table by Italian multimedia artist Edoardo Cozzani. The Houston unit uses a similar neutral palette with metal accents, a travertine-covered fitting room and a centerpiece accessories display. The shared design language suggests a repeatable store concept the brand can roll out across future locations.

What is the product strategy at launch?

The Miami store will carry two exclusive artist collaborations. Simkhai partnered with London-based artist Alex Kuznetsov to print his work "Orange 2009" onto the brand's draped jersey Acacia Dress and a silk scarf, both sold only at Bal Harbour. The original artwork and the special pieces will appear in the store window during Art Basel Miami in early December — a deliberate play on seasonal traffic.

How does this fit the channel strategy?

The U.S. openings follow two pop-ups at Galeries Lafayette in Paris and La Rinascente in Milan, which the company positioned as precursors to an international retail push.

"Simkhai was built on a close connection with the customer, and I have always envisioned physical stores in key cities throughout the U.S. and internationally," the designer said. "Opening Simkhai stores in both Miami and Houston represents a new chapter for Simkhai as we ramp up our retail presence significantly in the coming years."

The brand currently operates stores in Beverly Hills, SoHo and Southampton in New York, and Dallas. Company leadership said it is actively exploring additional U.S. locations.

"Our approach is strategic: We have a strong understanding of where our customers are shopping through both our wholesale partners and our own channels, and that insight helps guide our decisions," Simkhai said.

The company did not disclose financials. "As a private-owned company, we do not currently disclose our revenue figures," the designer said, while describing the business as "a U.S. designer brand with a strong wholesale foundation, a rapidly growing direct-to-consumer business, and an expanding presence across multiple product categories" including women's, men's, shoes and handbags.

Wholesale remains the foundation. Current partners include Saks Fifth Avenue, Bergdorf Goodman, Mytheresa, Net-a-porter, Harrods and Selfridges in London, La Rinascente in Milan, and specialty retailers Tootsies, McMullen and Hampden.

"One of the strengths of distribution is the diversity of our partners from major luxury department stores to independent boutiques," Simkhai said. "Each plays an important role in introducing Simkhai to new customers, and we remain committed to nurturing and growing these relationships."

Direct-to-consumer is now the fastest-growing segment, he confirmed, and the store program reflects that shift.

"Our retail expansion reflects that momentum and gives us the opportunity to connect more directly with our customers, showcase the full breadth of our collections, and create a more immersive brand experience," Simkhai said. "We see tremendous value in both channels and believe they complement and strengthen one another. Our focus is on accelerating our direct-to-consumer growth while continuing to nurture and expand our wholesale partnerships."

Internationally, the brand reports a growing customer base through its luxury e-commerce and department store relationships. "We see opportunity to further expand our presence globally," the designer said, describing a strategy of strengthening existing partnerships while introducing the brand to new markets.

What is the brand's trajectory?

Simkhai founded the business in New York in 2010 and moved operations to Los Angeles in 2018. He won the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund in 2015 and rebranded the label from "Jonathan Simkhai" to "Simkhai" in 2023.

The brand showed its spring 2027 collection during New York Fashion Week, with attendees including Simone Biles, Venus Williams and Minka Kelly. The collection spanned refined tailoring, tanks, trousers and shirting moving into asymmetric hemlines, elongated dresses and evening pieces, with organza, PVC, optic fiber, rubberized floral lace, coated denim and fringed leather, according to WWD's review.

With six stores by year-end and a stated minimum of three more in 2027, Simkhai is betting that owned retail in key U.S. luxury corridors — guided by wholesale and DTC customer data — will compound its fastest-growing channel.