There’s no need to jet-set to New York City to shop in one spot for fashions by the likes of Armani, Hugo Boss, Desigual and Lacoste. Now people passing through Pittsburgh can peruse them all before ever boarding a flight at the Airmall at Pittsburgh International Airport.

The 23-year-old retail complex recently was at the center of a $10 million development that brought to it a mix of domestic and international fashion and beauty brands.

“We always like to say the airport is the first and last impression any visitor has of the city and the region so we’ve always tried to do our best to make an impression,” says vice president of development Jay Kruisselbrink.

Airmall is now home to Armani Jeans; Tumi; Furla Italian shoes, accessories and handbags; and Collezioni — The Beauty Gallery, more than 3,000 square feet of cosmetic and skincare products from top international brands. It also has Pittsburgh’s only freestanding Desigual store, a Spanish-inspired brand known for its bright and bold fashions, and the country’s first Pinko, Italian-inspired contemporary women’s wear. There also is a chance to take what’s been billed as “a culinary tour of Italy” at Bottega dei Sapori, which has a selection of fine Italian foods including artisanal pastas, olive oils and a wine and espresso bar.

Looks from some of these stores were featured last week in a runway show at Airmall that was part of a day of festivities to celebrate the project’s completion.

“When I would be in the Sydney airport or the Amsterdam airport or the London airport it looked fantastic, and when you’re tired and jetlagged … you see these high-end shops and these incredible beautiful spaces. It was really exciting and made traveling so much better, but in the United States there wasn’t a lot of airports that did the same thing,” says makeup artist Carmindy, known for her work on TLC’s “What Not to Wear.” During the Airmall celebration she shared makeup tips and signed copies of her new book.

“When they told me about Airmall and said what stores were opening I was like, ‘Oh my gosh. This is like high-fashion Europe,’ ” she says.

The renovation was motivated by Pittsburgh International Airport’s shift from a hub to an origination and destination airport. The former means that most of the passengers passing through are connecting to another flight, whereas the latter is when more people are arriving in or departing from Pittsburgh. When travelers are ending or starting their trips, they have certain needs that need to be met or just want to relax and shop around a bit. The Airmall stores aim to help fulfill this hierarchy of needs and “to offer a unique experience,” Mr. Kruisselbrink says.

Part of that experience is a new video wall that promotes Airmall stores and restaurants as well as landmarks and things to do throughout the region.

Pittsburgh International Airport sees a lot of travelers with discretionary incomes. Plus in the past few years there’s been a slight uptick in female travelers vs. male ones. Airmall sought out retailers that would cater to these kinds of shoppers, Mr. Kruisselbrink says, while also being diverse enough in price range and offerings to appeal to various demographics.

While trying to court the luxury brands, developers told them about the success of other high-end retailers in the area.

“We would take them to Ross Park Mall so they had a comfort level that, yes, these brands do work in Pittsburgh,” Mr. Kruisselbrink says.

The new additions are expected to increase annual revenues by 20 percent — and increase what Pittsburgh has to offer.

“It’s a pride thing,” Mr. Kruisselbrink says. “We want it to be the best in the country.”

For more from Post-Gazette style editor Sara Bauknecht, visit the PG’s fashion blog Stylebook at post-gazette.com/stylebook. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram @SaraB_PG or email sbauknecht@post-gazette.com.

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