Fashion brand Joseph expands into China

For decades Joseph was the place every cool urban girl in London would visit to find a great pair of pants, fabulous knitwear and, during the chillier months, luxurious shearling. It was the label that offered understated, slightly androgynous clothes to work in, play in, or to wear to simply chill out.

Now, Joseph is at last arriving in Beijing, opening this month in Shin Kong Place. Over the next five years more boutiques will be rolled out across China - in Hong Kong, Macau and Shenzhen next year.

Joseph Ettedgui, known by his first name, was a pioneer of modern retail in the 1980s and '90s. "He could see what people wanted before they had it and he created this concept of lifestyle which didn't exist before," says Louise Trotter, the current creative director, who for the past six years has ensured the brand remains at the heart of the urban wardrobe.

Joseph arrived in London in the '60s from his native Morocco and got swept up in the fashion scene. "He had an incredible eye as a curator," says Trotter. He introduced Kenzo Takada, Yohji Yamamoto and later Prada and Azzedine Alaia to the metropolis through his multi-brand stores, and he had a knack for creating a seductive retail atmosphere. He was the first to bring in architects of the stature of Norman Foster to design his shops, and merged restaurant and fashion with his Joe's Café concept.