After the mall wing’s months-long hiatus, the lifestyle boutiques, both old and new, reopened along with 18 other brands including luxury staples such as Univers, Off White and Officine Universelle Buly. Mark “Jappy” Gonzales, Univers co-founder and managing director of its head company H&F Retail Concepts Inc, points out that the interior of the new store features the brand’s contemporary, minimalist style.

“The Greenbelt store will be the cleanest. [It is] like a blank canvas with curves. The design directive: no corners,” he explains. The newly opened 425-sqm boutique was designed by the renowned architect Ed Calma. It features a mesmerising Thom Browne shop-in-shop and a special space for Assouline, the first luxury brand on culture and books.

“Univers has always been a destination shop. This time, we are going where the market is. We worked in reverse, starting with challenging locations and a very different line-up. Many will visit Greenbelt,” Gonzales discloses. In a May 2021 interview with Tatler, Gonzales admits that in the last ten years, the Philippines has seen a huge change in the retail industry. “With the support of various government agencies, the retail industry has opened up to foreign-owned companies to operate in the Philippines. With this infusion of capital investment in the market and some local companies’ expansion alongside it, a more international type of retail landscape has risen. It has also given retailers like me the opportunity to expand on the same level,” says Gonzales.

He also shares the direction of the store: “The fundamental vision of Univers is that of evolution, but on our terms. So, in the past ten years, we’ve played host to upcoming brands as well as established labels that have a shared vision—relevant and in tune with the future of our niche.”

In case you missed it: Inside the New Greenbelt 3 Designed by Architect J. Anton Mendoza