Victoria Quarter

The Victoria Quarter is an upmarket shopping area in Leeds, England. It consists of three blocks situated between Briggate and Vicar Lane, comprising the County Arcade, Cross Arcade, Queen Victoria Street and King Edward Street.

This development was built around 1900 and designed by the theatre architect Frank Matcham, and originally it also included his Empire Palace Theatre, but this was demolished in the 1960s. The exteriors are largely of faience from the Burmantofts Pottery works, and the interiors of the arcades contain a number of mosaics and plentiful use of marble. The Quarter was restored in phases between 1990 and 1996, during which a glass roof was also erected over Queen Victoria Street.

Upmarket leather goods brand Mulberry will opened its first Leeds store in the Victoria Quarter, opposite the Louis Vuitton store in May 2008.

Debuts

Confidence in the Victoria Quarter has seen occupancy reach 100% with many stores making their debut outside of London or indeed in the UK.

The latest opening is Arrogant Cat Boutique, their first store outside of London and planned openings of a dedicated accessories branch of Reiss opposite their main store on County Arcade. Church's shoes also opened their first store outside of London in the Victoria Quarter, as did Firetrap and Agent Provocateur.

Harvey Nichols famously moved to Leeds in 1996; the first provincial move for an upmarket department store. It occupies the site of the Empire Palace and labelled Leeds 'The Knightsbridge of the North'. This has been supported by companies like Louis Vuitton who on September 19, 2006, opened their first Louis Vuitton store to have a VIP area. Paul Smith opened their third flagship store in the UK in Leeds, while Religion chose the Victoria Quarter as the location for their first ever store.

Stores in the VQ

*Adecco, Agent Provocateur, All Saints, Anthony's Patisserie, Aqua Couture, Aspecto, Austravel, Autumn & May, Azendi, Arrogant Cat
*B&R, Bayliffe & Lupton, Berrys, Boodle-am, Bravissimo, Brora, Brossgill Opticians
*Cadeaux, Charbonnel Et Walker, Chinelli, Coast, Crabtree & Evelyn
*Daisy Chain, Diesel
*East
*FCUK, Firetrap, Formes, French Revolution, French Revolution Bagels
*G Lovis, Gieves & Hawkes
*Hair Plus, Harvey Nichols, Hawes and Curtis, High & Mighty, HL Brown, Hobbs
*Itiz
*James Macintyr & Co Ltd, Jeffery-West, Jigsaw, Jo Malone
*Karen Millen, Kookai, Kurt Geiger
*Lacoste, Life, Links of London, LK Bennett, Louis Vuitton
*Mulberry, Moda in Pelle, Molton Brown
*Neal's Yard Remedies, Nicholas Deakins, Nicky Clarke, North Face
*Olivers, Oliver Sweeney, Optical Express
*Paul Smith
*Quiksilver
*Reiss, Religion , Rose & Co
*Shade Station, Space NK Apothercary, Swarovski
*T.M. Lewin, Ted Baker, Teddy & Co, The VIP Lounge, The White Company
*Vicky Martin, Vivienne Westwood
*Whistles, World of Dance
*Yorkshire Jewellery Limited

External links

* [http://www.vqleeds.co.uk Victoria Quarter website]