A leading high fashion retailer is on the move amid plans to expand its offerings on the island.

The Reid Street Mambo store has moved to Old Cellar Lane off Front Street — and the former shop is to be revamped and concentrate on women’s clothes from Italian designer Stefanel.

Owner Yvonne Cacace, who has worked in fashion retail for more than 25 years, said the new store, formerly Sail On and scheduled to open tomorrow, would feature Mambo style staples like Diesel and True Religion, plus new additions.

She added: “We’re going to be introducing several new lines over the course of the next few months and we’ll also be putting more emphasis on True Religion and Diesel.”

Ms Cacace said British high fashion label Superdry — a fusion of English tailoring with Japanese and US influences — would be among the new additions at Mambo, while Spanish Custo Barcelona, which specialises in exclusive graphic prints, would also feature.

She added: “Sail On moved out of here, so the space became available. and we figured we could turn it into an exciting space for our Mambo store.

“We are bringing back Stefanel, the first company we dealt with back in 1987, and that will go into the old Mambo on Reid Street. The reason we’re bringing the brand back is the current trend for women is to go back to traditional office wear, rather than the dress down look.”

Ms Cacace said it was possible to thrive and expand — even in a recession where people are tightening their belts and cutting back on spending.

She added: “You can’t be nervous — nervous doesn’t get you anywhere. This is my life and I love what I do. A lot of my energy is in what I do.”

She was speaking as she and staff prepared the new store — complete with colourful mural featuring brand logos — for its opening.

Ms Cacace added: “It’s about using social media and contact with your customers — we have a strong customer base and we feel we have developed a personal relationship with them. It’s very one on one.”

Ms Cacace said: “Definitely, people are more price-conscious, which is why we’re introducing more lines. But the quality of the products has never changed.

“You can spend a bit more, but what you buy will last. We have always had very strong confidence in the products we carry.

“It really is the product — we also believe that exclusive rights to the brands we have is key.”

Ms Cacace explained that exclusive deals meant no rival retailers carrying the same products — and being forced into price wars to compete.

And she said: “If somebody invests time to find a product, they should have an exclusive right to it, rather than everybody jumping on the bandwagon.”

She added that a careful choice of designers was also a crucial component for retailers — with an emphasis on labels with the ability to develop.

Ms Cacace said: “Diesel are always reinventing themselves, which is key. You have got to be able to adapt to keep the interest of your customer base.”