ark and dedicated Mass Rapid Transport (MRT) station. Featuring the first bricks-and-mortar store for cult beauty brand Drunk Elephant and an expansive 10-acre rooftop park designed for social engagement and sustainability, The Exchange TRX is on track to become a world-class retail destination. The mall will include retailers such as Gentle Monster; Maison Kitsuné and the 28th location of its acclaimed Café Kitsuné; California-based, celeb-approved athleisure brand, Alo Yoga; as well as Finnish textile, clothing and home furnishings brand, Marimekko.  One of the anchor tenants will be Seibu, spanning four levels and occupying some 250,000sqft.  As one of Japan’s largest department stores, Seibu will be the first department store to carry over 400 luxury, international contemporary and Japanese fashion brands, more than 100 of which will enter the Malaysian market for the first time. Mitch Wilson, project director for The Exchange TRX and head of retail for Lendlease Malaysia recently shared how this avant-garde project aims to become the new social heart of Kuala Lumpur and the greater Malaysian retail landscape. The vision According to Wilson, the overarching vision of TRX was to create a social heart and meeting place for residents and visitors to the area, avoiding a common pitfall of international financial districts with no soul. “We don’t see ourselves as a retail mall, we see ourselves as a destination where Malaysians and international guests can experience the best of what Malaysia has to offer in a perfect setting,” he told Inside Retail. The mixed-use development will be anchored by a 1.3 million square-foot retail space, and a 10-acre city park that will be activated by retail restaurants, playground spaces and community zones with F&B outlets and entertainment. “At the end of next year, we’ll be welcoming the Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants by IHG Group, which is a lifestyle hotel destination, and we’re really quite excited about how this will play a key role in the vision of creating a social heart for the development,” he added. Wilson reiterated that when the team set off on this journey, it was not about creating the largest retail asset. Rather, it was about trying to understand what the new world of retail would look like. It was important to complement what was already in the Klang Valley base. “Our aim was to work out key unique propositions for customers, create sporting and lifestyle events, fashion shows and food fairs. You will be seeing this in the first 12 months of operations,” he noted. More importantly, Wilson also mentioned that the mall is positioning itself as a luxury retail destination. An assortment of LVMH brands, a Chanel boutique and brands under the Kering Group are also going to be part of the tenant portfolio. “In our sports and lifestyles sector, you will be seeing boutiques from all the top brands, including Nike, Adidas, Puma and Skechers. These brands are pushing the envelope in terms of customer engagement and this is going to be a fantastic opportunity for us,” he said. An ever evolving marketplace According to Wilson, the retail scene in Malaysia has changed dramatically over the past two decades.  He’s been in the Malaysian market for the past 15 years, and it used to be the case that if one wanted to see broader international brands, Bangkok and Singapore would be the prime destinations. But that’s not the case anymore. “Kuala Lumpur is now first and foremost on every international brand’s radar as a major city that they need to have. The Malaysian market travels, and locals are looking for these brands. Having Gentle Monster and Maison Kitsune in the mall are perfect examples of this,” he added. The world’s first bricks-and-mortar store for cult beauty brand Drunk Elephant is another facet of the retail mix that Wilson expects to become a hit in Malaysia. He is particularly excited about what the brand does in terms of personalisation and innovative technologies. As the launch date nears, Wilson also commented on the economic benefits that TRX could have on the local community. He expects at least 6,000 to 10,000 new job opportunities from over 400 individual businesses that are poised to begin operations soon. “The heart of everything we do is just to provide a solution to what the customer is asking for. As long as we remain engaged with the customer and respond to what they need, then I can think this project will go on for decades,” he concluded.