Céline, La Perla, Tod’s and The Webster to Open in the Galleria

The Galleria is sparing no expense to enhance its draw with the luxury consumer. As Saks Fifth Avenue ploughs ahead with its 200,000-square-foot expansion (to be completed next year), four new retail venues are also joining the mix. High-end lingerie atelier La Perla will go in next to Neiman Marcus, ground level, this spring. Italian luxury leather goods brand Tod’s will follow suit nearby. Last but certainly not least — hold your breath, Houston — French fashion house (and purveyor of the coveted Luggage and Phantom totes) Céline will open its first boutique in Texas in 2016.

These retailers will join an already impressive list of new luxury tenants currently open, including Tourbillion, John Varvatos, Rolex, Trina Turk and Hublot, with Top Shop and Top Man opening in March. They are all part of a $30 million renovation to the mall’s already spectacular “luxury wing,” part of a $250 million investment strategy from Simon (the Galleria’s parent company and retail investment firm) to lock down the location as the premier shopping destination for retailers and consumers alike.

In another ingenious move, Simon is bringing in Miami hipster retail zion The Webster and creating the brand’s first location outside of Florida. Famous for attracting trendy South Beach patrons, the store will carry many ready-to-wear and jewelry designers that Houstonians have previously only been able to purchase outside the city (think Delfina Delettrez, Haider Ackerman, Yazbukey). The 5,000-square-foot space will be built from the ground up as a freestanding high-concept luxury boutique that will face Westheimer and be connected to the Galleria by a covered walkway. Construction is anticipated to be completed by November 2015.