Fashionistas, whip out your wallets.

Takashimaya has thrown the latest punch in the battle of the Orchard Road malls.

Eight brands, some new to Singapore, including LVMH- owned multi-brand cosmetics megastore Sephora, New York-based workwear chain Club Monaco and French luxury shoe designer Christian Louboutin, will be setting up shop in the shopping centre between July and February next year.

This infusion of hip brands is a timely move given the competition coming up. Four malls - Ion Orchard, Orchard Central, Scotts Square and 313@Somerset - will open from early next year.

At least 11 brands will debut here all in, with more expected soon.

Toshin Development Company, a Takashimaya subsidiary that manages the mall's speciality retail space, said there is a continuous effort to upgrade the tenant mix.

The eight new stores at Takashimaya will occupy up to 15,000sqft. The Toshin spokesman could not disclose if existing tenants would have to make way for the new ones.

Meanwhile, the Mandarin Shopping Gallery closed in March for a revamp and to convert some of Meritus Mandarin's function space to higher-yield retail space.

It announced last week that labels like Just Cavalli, the youth-oriented line from hot Italian designer Roberto Cavalli, and Ferre, the ready-to-wear line from Italian designer Gianfranco Ferre, will open boutiques when it reopens in September next year.

Orchard Central, a 13-storey mall by Far East Organization (FEO), has yet to reveal its tenants. However, MrGeorge Khoo, chief operating officer of FEO's retail business group, said F&B would be a highlight there. Its rooftop terrace will be created by uber-chic Japanese designer Super Potato.

Similarly, Ion Orchard would not say more about upcoming tenants besides the six duplexes by high-end labels, including Cartier, Christian Dior, Louis Vuitton and Prada.

Ion Orchard is a development by Orchard Turn Developments, a joint venture between Singapore-listed CapitaLand and Hong Kong's Sun Hung Kai Properties.

A spokesman said Ion is confident of meeting its target of 60per cent flagships new to the market and concept stores.

Ms Linda Kwan, general manager of Paragon Shopping Centre, noted that all these developments will revitalise the shopping belt.

Paragon is spending $45 million on a facelift to feature four duplex stores and one single-storey streetfront store, all of which will be occupied by existing tenants.

Mr Nash Benjamin, CEO of home-grown retailer FJ Benjamin, which distributes Guess, Gap and Banana Republic, said: 'In a world-class city like Singapore, shoppers are always looking for world-class malls. If retailers don't keep relevant, shoppers will simply turn elsewhere.'

Shoppers are excited about the changes.

Said Ms Zhai Qi, 27, who works in the banking industry and used to work in the United States: 'Sephora is my favourite store in the US. I hope they will bring in their small make-up brands like Hard Candy, Two Faced and Trish McEvoy.'

But Mr Lionnel Lim, a fashion stylist-publicist in his 50s, said bringing in a new label is not enough.

'Retailers have to think more. They cannot just bring a brand in and expect it to sell by itself,' he said.

This article was first published in The Sunday Times on June 1, 2008.