While U.S. Struggles, Mexico City is Awash in Luxury

By Ruth Samuelson

Published April 13, 2011

Even the breeze feels more rarefied in Antara Fashion Hall.

The moment you enter this open-air mall in Mexico City, the soot and car exhaust outside seem to disintegrate. Water bubbles up from a ground-level fountain. Ahead, radiant fuchsia flowers decorate the path through this mecca of luxury stores.

Some boutiques, like CH Carolina Herrera, opened during the shopping center’s earliest days in 2006. But others moved in more recently, like Brooks Brothers in 2009, and Marc by Marc Jacobs in 2010.

“There are people that are just starting to get to know the brand, and there are people who learned of the brand in a department store,â€