Prada shop to rouse Valley fashionistas

 Italian luxury retailer Prada will open its first Arizona store at Scottsdale Fashion Square later this year.

The high-end Milan fashion house, led by head designer Miuccia Prada, has been noticeably absent from the Arizona retail-fashion scene, and its arrival reflects the area's growing shopping clout.

Prada currently operates boutiques in 10 U.S. markets that sell women's, men's and some children's clothing and shoes in addition to handbags, jewelry, eyeglasses, belts and leather goods.

The Scottsdale store is good news for Prada fans who have seen the label become scarce in the Phoenix area as the designer has moved to enhance the exclusivity of the brand.

Prada has steadily reduced shipments of its products to upscale department-store chains such as Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue and Barney's New York, where the label was once readily available.

Prada contends its brand is cheapened when the products are subject to department-store discounts.

Instead, Prada and other luxury labels, such as Gucci and Dior, have been pressing department stores to lease them space inside their stores for independent boutiques, or concessions.

In Las Vegas, Prada staffs and operates a boutique inside Neiman Marcus. The fashion label shoulders more risk with a concession but has more control over prices.

Not all retailers are cooperating. In February, Barney's turned down Prada's request for concessions, which prompted the designer to pull its women's wear out of all of Barney's stores, including its location at Scottsdale Fashion Square.

The spat with Barney's further reduced the availability of the Prada label in the Phoenix area and may have contributed to the decision to open the stand-alone boutique.

Prada did not return calls seeking comment on its decision.

The Prada boutique will be located near rival Gucci on the mall's second level where a sign announces the store's expected arrival. An expected opening date is unknown.

Prada was founded in 1913 by Mario Prada as a leather-goods shop that sold trunks and handbags. His granddaughter Miuccia took over the business in 1978, and with help from business manager and eventual husband Patrizio Bertelli, she built it into one of the world's top fashion labels. The brand became a household word with the 2003 novel "The Devil Wears Prada" and its screen adaption in 2006 starring Meryl Streep.

There are now more than 250 Prada boutiques worldwide, that generate more than $2.4 billion in annual sales.