Stella McCartney, Huge Boss and Yoox Net-a-Porter in talks to move to Stanhope and Mitsui’s White City Place
Three leading fashion brands are in talks to move their London headquarters to new offices being developed inside the former BBC Media Village in White City, City PM understands.
Designers Stella McCartney, Hugo Boss and online fashion website Yoox Net-a-Porter have separately approached developers Stanhope and Mitsui about taking office space inside White City Place.
Stella McCartney, whose fashion house is currently based opposite the Media Village complex in White City in a building due to be redeveloped this year, is understood to be looking for around 30,000-40,000 sq ft.
Net-a-Porter, also based in White City inside the Westfield shopping centre, is searching for two offices of 40,000-60,000 sq ft and 30,000 sq ft while Hugo Boss, based in Camden, has a requirement for 20,000-30,000 sq ft.
The BBC sold the Media Village to Stanhope and Mitsui last summer for £87m, after buying the neighbouring BBC Television Centre on Wood Lane in 2012 for £200m.
The broadcaster agreed to continue to lease three of the six buildings. The remaining three buildings – Westworks, MediaWorks and Garden House – are being refurbished and brought back to market this year. They comprise of 280,000 sq ft, 230,000 sq ft, and 40,000 sq ft respectively.
Securing three major fashion names would be a major boost for the White City area, which is undergoing a wide £8bn,100-acre regeneration that includes the expansion of Westfield London shopping centre, a new Imperial College campus and a 1,500 home development by The Berkeley Group.
Stanhope and Mitsui are hoping to lure creative firms away from the West End with better value rents in the region of £50 to £60 per sq ft.
It would also come as a consolation for the Media Village developers after Victoria Beckham pulled out of plans to move her headquarters to Garden House.
Stanhope and Mitsui declined to comment.