Playboy to open store in mainly Muslim Malaysia

KUALA LUMPUR – Playboy Enterprises, the company behind the Playboy magazine empire, said yesterday it will open a store in conservative mainly-Muslim Malaysia, even though the raunchy publication is banned here.

But anyone looking for sex-related products will be disappointed – the store which opens at the popular Midvalley Megamall early next year won’t even stock bunny-printed underwear. “We only sell ladies’ apparel, accessories, for example costume jewellery and watches.Our clothes consist of mainly cargo pants, tops, bottoms,” said Denise Tan, spokeswoman for Zillion, Playboy’s official licensee in Malaysia.”The whole image of Playboy fashion has been revamped.It’s quite sexy in a way.Not toward feminine sexiness but hip-hop sexiness,” she told AFP.Christie Hefner, Playboy chief executive officer and daughter of founder Hugh Hefner, will reportedly tour the Playboy boutiques in Asia next year and launch new stores in Hong Kong and Singapore.But Tan said it was still not clear whether Hefner would make it to Malaysia.Playboy Enterprises’ licensed products business now generates over US$600 million in global retail sales in more than 100 countries, the company said.- Nampa-AFP”We only sell ladies’ apparel, accessories, for example costume jewellery and watches.Our clothes consist of mainly cargo pants, tops, bottoms,” said Denise Tan, spokeswoman for Zillion, Playboy’s official licensee in Malaysia.”The whole image of Playboy fashion has been revamped.It’s quite sexy in a way.Not toward feminine sexiness but hip-hop sexiness,” she told AFP.Christie Hefner, Playboy chief executive officer and daughter of founder Hugh Hefner, will reportedly tour the Playboy boutiques in Asia next year and launch new stores in Hong Kong and Singapore.But Tan said it was still not clear whether Hefner would make it to Malaysia.Playboy Enterprises’ licensed products business now generates over US$600 million in global retail sales in more than 100 countries, the company said.- Nampa-AFP