Justin Timberlake Shows Love to Malls, Victoria’s Secret Goes Abroad

The stigma surrounding shopping malls is dissipating. Shopping chain stores and slurping down a Jamba Juice in the process is garnering newfound acceptance as a sartorial pastime. And apparently it's a movement of which Justin Timberlake is a fan. Back in September, the pop star-turned-fashion designer announced for that William Rast, the clothing line he founded alongside Trace Ayala, would soon be setting up its first freestanding shop (which is now newly opened at the Westfield Century City mall in Los Angeles). Apparently the next 40-50 William Rast stores opening between now and 2010 will be in malls as well.

“Foot traffic is important to us. Generally in this environment, the mall is thriving better than the street locations,” says Colin Dyne, chief executive officer of People’s Liberation, the Los Angeles-based company that operates its namesake brand, William Rast and the U.S. business of J. Lindeberg. In other William Rast news, Timberlake will reappear in the brand’s next ad campaign: Dyne says, “we use Justin in the right ways. He was in our first ad campaign and he’ll be in our next ad campaign.”

As for Victoria’s Secret (whose much-anticipated annual angel runway show is fast approaching), major expansions across the pond are in the works. Retail Week says, Limited Brands “plans to open Victoria’s Secret stores in strategic markets including the UK as part of an international expansion drive.”