French fashion house Balmain launched its first store in Turkey at a shopping mall in Istanbul in a joint venture with fashion retailer Beymen, which was recently acquired by the Qatari fund Mayhoola.

The 200-square-meter store will serve its customers with a new boutique concept at Istanbul's Zorlu Shopping Mall.

In a statement released by the company, Balmain CEO Massimo Piombini stressed that Istanbul is an excellent destination for luxury designer brands given the city's dynamic and vibrant texture. "Turkey is one of the strong markets we had been planning to start operating in for awhile. Balmain, in its Istanbul store, will bring together its female and male lines in addition to accessories and offer them to the taste of fashion aficionados. I believe our new store in Istanbul will contribute to Balmain's aim to grow with strength."

The new boutique concept of the Istanbul store aims to offer customers the atmosphere of Paris, the statement also said.

Olivier Rousteing, French fashion designer and the creative director of Balmain, also said in the statement, "Our boutique stores combine and blend the classic and the modern."