The French fashion brand Ba&Sh will replace Bimba y Lola in Passeig de Gràcia

Almost a year has passed since Bimba y Lola definitively closed the doors of the store it occupied at number 55 Passeig de Gràcia in Barcelona on December 1st. The premises, divided into two levels, have just been leased by the French women's clothing brand Ba&sh, which is landing on the emblematic commercial avenue and will join the openings also being finalized by other firms such as Tiffany jewelry.

The operation, reported by Expansión, was brokered by the real estate consultancy Gramar, which confirms that it is a premises with a surface area of 80 square meters at street level and an additional 300 square meters below ground. The forecast is that it can open starting in January. Until now, in Barcelona, Ba&sh had two establishments located in El Corte Inglés in Plaça Catalunya and Diagonal, and it also has an outlet store in La Roca Village. It is increasingly common for high-end brands present in this shopping center to sell their surplus to make the leap and open a boutique in the center of Barcelona; this also recently happened with Moncler, which set up shop at number 89 Passeig de Gràcia.

Specializing in women's clothing and accessories, Ba&sh also has a commercial presence in Madrid ---with stores in Claudio Coello and Serrano and in El Corte Inglés centers---, A Coruña, Bilbao, San Sebastián, Marbella, Malaga, and Palma de Mallorca.

Founded by Barbara Boccara and Sharon Krief in 2003, Ba&sh is a firm positioned in the so-called affordable premium fashion segment which, after experiencing strong growth in France, launched an international expansion plan that has led it to establish itself in multiple European and Asian countries and the United States. The company is 50% owned by two investment firms: Groupe VOG ---specializing in supporting the growth of new fashion brands--- and the French private equity giant L Catterton, which acquired half of the shares in 2015. This fund is considered the investment arm of the family empire Groupe Arnault, owner of the luxury brand conglomerate LVMH. L Catterton is also a shareholder of Pepe Jeans, the Birkenstock sandal brand, Bliss cosmetics, and the Spanish hamburger chain Goiko, for which it paid 120 million euros in 2018.