It's not just Marina Bay that's glittering on the Collyer Quay waterfront strip, over at The Fullerton Hotel, a new wave of bling is set to draw high net worth shoppers to this shiny new retail destination.

The Fullerton Hotel is fast creating its own luxury retail cluster, having turned under-utilised conference rooms into five stores, three of which will be occupied by upscale jewellers. They join the expanded premises of existing contemporary Chinese and Asian art gallery iPreciation, in the newly created area of over 5,000 square feet.

First to open in the middle of June is local company Raffles Jeweller, a multi-brand store that focuses on timeless designs made with high quality materials and superior workmanship. Its main labels are the prestigious Italian brands Red Velvet and Harpo's, and the company also produces its own range of classic designs for the high-end, mainly Singaporean market.

This will be followed by new local luxury brand Voi Jewellery at the end of June. Positioning itself as an 'avant-garde' fine jeweller, Voi creates bold, statement-making pieces in unconventional designs - as shown in the oversized, precious stone-encrusted insect brooches in the form of spiders and hornets, which form part of the line's limited edition, insect-themed debut collection.

Mouawad for Victoria's Secrets

Joining this cluster in early July is the highly anticipated arrival of internationally acclaimed jewellery house Mouawad, established in 1890 by Lebanese watch maker Daoud Mouawad. It is the luxury brand's first outlet in Singapore, and the only one in Asia apart from Japan.

Other than being a favourite amongst celebrities, Mouawad is well-known for its high-profile collaborations: jewellery lines designed by German supermodel Heidi Klum; the diamond-encrusted Victoria's Secret range of fantasy bras; and an upcoming line designed by actress Nicole Ritchie.

All these are in addition to the keenly awaited boutique by London-based Singapore fashion designer Ashley Isham. Opening in the middle of June, it will be Isham's thirteenth boutique outside of London.

The new arrivals at The Fullerton Hotel are just the start of what general manager for The Fullerton Heritage, Sulian Tan-Wijaya, describes as 'a new destination-driven retail experience'.
That is why only brands not available elsewhere in Singapore and the region have been picked.

Together with the relaunch of One Fullerton with four new food and beverage outlets in August, as well as Clifford Pier's fine dining eateries (yet to be unveiled) that is to be launched in September, the precinct is set to be transformed into a retail and epicurean playground for neighbouring high-flyers to spend their big bucks.

Owned by Hong Kong-based developer Sino Land, The Fullerton Heritage is behind the development of the Collyer Quay corridor, including the ambitious revamp of Clifford Pier and Customs House, plus a new luxury boutique hotel called The Fullerton Bay Hotel. Customs House and The Fullerton Bay Hotel are both due to be completed in the second half of next year.

While luxury retailers have tended towards prime retail plots on Orchard Road, their presence in the CBD has been growing since last year, as evidenced by high-end brands such as Ermenegildo Zegna, Bang & Olufsen, and Thomas Pink opening stores at Capital Tower.

The high concentration of affluent executives, business leaders and private banking clients, all with a high propensity to spend, means that it makes sense to create luxury clusters in the CBD area to cater to this key customer group, said Ms Tan-Wijaya.

The expected customer profile for the area will also include future executives from the new Marina Bay Financial Centre, residents from luxury condominiums such as The Sail and Marina Bay Residences, as well as high rollers from the Marina Bay Sands, added Ms Tan-Wijaya.

The location's strong potential clientele is the biggest draw for Voi Jewellery, which opened its first store in Suntec City last month. The brand's adventurous line of jewellery are priced between $1,000 and $70,000.

Julia Tan, Voi Jewellery general manager, said that The Fullerton Hotel was an ideal venue due to the calibre of the 'adventurous and discerning' clientele that it would be attracting, especially for the Singapore Grand Prix. 'It is precisely that kind of client that we are seeking to attract to Voi Jewellery.'

Likewise, Raffles Jewellers, currently at Meritus Mandarin Hotel on Orchard Road, is also hopeful about the potential of the new location. Manager David Chong said that the renovation of the Mandarin Gallery was the cause of the move, 'but with the integrated resorts coming up, it might be a good one'.

This article was first published in The Business Times on May 31 2008.