It's been a busy couple of months for London-based shoe designer Sophia Webster. In March she won this year's BFC/Vogue Designer Fashion Fund, beating Emilia Wickstead, Mother of Pearl, Osman and Prism to scoop the prestigious prize, supported by British Vogue, Burberry, Harrods, Paul Smith and Topshop. And now today, less than two months later, Webster has opened the doors to her first store on London's most luxury shopping destination, Mount Street. Not bad for someone who made their debut in SS13. But with previous experience assisting Nicholas Kirkwood and an MA from the Royal College of Art, specialising in footwear, it's no wonder Webster has hit the big time so swiftly.
With 702k followers on Instagram, an incredibly successful e-commerce site, and Snapchat, Webster has a very loyal fanbase who are understandably excited about the opening of the new retail space. In fact, after posting preview images on Snapchat earlier this week, three eager fans made a trip to the store before its official launch to get the first look.
The vibrant, floral and fluffy new retail space showcases the latest shoe and handbag collections, in-store exclusives as well as Sophia's full evening, bridal and mini collections. Sophia collaborated on the design with Studio XAG’s Xavier Sheriff and Gemma Ruse, together with Simone Suss from Studio Suss, to create an inviting, intimate space which encapsulates her signature style and fun approach to fashion.
The store's design is respectful to the heritage of Mayfair, drawing on traditional elements of architecture, but cleverly combines details from her cult footwear collections - handbag hooks protruding from the wall are made from Sophia Webster stiletto heels, while cupboards and fixtures are adorned with her famous flamingos. Studio Suss collaborated with Stuart Scott to create bespoke furniture in Sophia’s chosen colour palette and Rocco Borghese to create a unique blown glass chandelier inspired by Sophia's first sketch of the boutique. And if the space wasn't welcoming enough already, Webster's close friend Katy B (who's performed at two previous LFW presentations) has curated the perfect playlist for the store.
"I'm delighted to announce the opening of my first boutique retail space," Webster explains. "I have long dreamt of a physical destination for those who already follow and support my brand online and through social media so they can truly step into my world. Having a permanent retail outlet will bring me an insightful new connection with my customers, and the process of designing the interior has helped me to refine and create a blueprint for future shops and spaces. It is the start of a very exciting new chapter." Race you to Mount Street.
Sophia Webster can be found at 124 Mount Street, Mount Street Mews. For more information visit www.sophiawebster.com
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