It may have just been a convergence of circumstances, but Tiffany’s opening of both their Beirut boutique and their regional headquarters in Dubai within the same week was a pretty forthright statement of optimism in response to anyone doubting the regional market for luxury goods. “It had been planned for several years and all of a sudden the circumstances aligned,” said a pleased Laurent Cathala, Tiffany’s vice president of emerging markets, at the boutique’s opening in downtown Beirut last month. Although present in the region for 15 years, the first boutique brings Tiffany’s signature diamond setting — the celebrated six-prong “Tiffany Setting” — to Beirut for the first time. Cathala said the appetite and spending power exists, and added that the company is enjoying double-digit growth across the region. Tiffany’s new collection of vintage-inspired locks are a highly successful complement to the brand’s signature key collection and have already proved
