Exclusive areas "white cubes" and "agents only" with new designer labels entirely sold out

The attractive and upscale concept of the premium area ‚white cubes' has caught on: with roughly 90 top designer labels from eight countries, the new premium area at GDS is now entirely sold out. The elegant atmosphere with its purist white design entices with its ‚understatement character' and offers a desirable presentation platform for international upscale labels. Among the top labels that have registered for the separated premium area are Charles Jourdan, Ed Hardy Shoes, Irregular Choice, Ludwig Reiter, Marithé + François Girbaud Footwear, Terra Plana and United Nude.

"The positive response from numerous high-class companies to the ‚white cubes' area motivates us to expand this concept," says Kirstin Deutelmoser, project director for GDS. With the expansion of the premium area, GDS strengthens its position as an international information platform for the entire international shoe industry.

Charles Jourdan founded his small shoe company in 1921 in Département Drome, the centre of the French shoe industry. Over the next several years, his fashion label became world-famous - he knew how to make shoe fashion an important element of the seasonally changing Haute Couture. In the latter part of his career, Charles Jourdan created, among other things, a luxury shoe collection for Christian Dior.

The Ed Hardy label, a favourite among international celebrities, has added a line of shoes to its offerings. The Ed Hardy trademark is the combination of tattoo art and vintage style- also reflected in their new shoe collection via skulls, racing flags and camouflage prints on sneakers, motorcycle boots and pumps. Whether hip-hop mogul P. Diddy, Oscar-winner Jamie Foxx or the young actress Jessica Alba- they all wear the trendy Ed Hardy label by star designer Christian Audiger with enthusiasm.

The Ludwig Reiter label looks back on a long tradition that began in 1855 in a Vienna shoemaker's workshop providing tailor-made boots for a police station. Several years later, Ludwig Reiter expanded his operation into a full-scale factory and began making high-quality sewn-welted men's and women's shoes under various brand names. Today, 15 exclusive mono-label shops in Austria and Germany - including a shop on Düsseldorf's glamour mile Königsallee next to Bogner and Hermès - attest to the success of these sewn-welted luxury shoes. The label is also known beyond Austrian and German borders: Ludwig Reiter can be found in more than 200 selected stores worldwide.

Together with his partner Marithé, François Girbaud founded the label of the same name in 1964. The passionate jeans designer never stops creating new cut variations. Famous Girbaud fans include stars such as Kate Moss and Gwyneth Paltrow. Today, "Girbaud" is famous around the globe and recognized throughout the industry as a trailblazer who is always ahead of the pack. With clever shapes and provocative colour combinations for men and women, the new footwear line is characterized by innovation and uniqueness.

Separated from the ‚white cubes' area by a reception area, a second separate area is located in hall 9 - ‚agents only', featuring progressive, high-quality scene labels, offering a perfect "community" in which Düsseldorf-based commercial agencies can show their collections to an interested trade audience.

GDS has put together a ServicePlus Package for ‚white cubes' /,agents only' exhibitors that includes a business area with W-LAN, fax and copy services, professional address management and a separate reception with central visitor registration. Free shuttle service from the hotels to the "white cubes" area and to the showrooms is also included.

Further labels that have registered for the ‚white cubes' /,agents only' area include Alima, Amaterasu, Argila, Augusta/Elen Wagner, Buttero, Castaner, Cinque, DÉBUT, DKNY, Duccio del Duca, Etro Shoes, GUESS, JFK, Joy Harper, Kallisté, MARC by MARC JACOBS, Mariana Méndez, Michel Perry, Missoni, Neil Barrett, NOW, Pollini, Puma by Neil Barrett, Repetto, SEBASTIAN, Strenesse, Stuart Weitzman, Swissoccoli and Yin.