CLOSE UP
Belles Ball THE
OF
We caught up with Alice Shreeve and Hannah Coniam, founders of cult womenswear label Belle & Bunty Why did you decide to open a boutique? We’ve had our fashion label for eight years and after a few years of wholesaling to other boutiques and department stores we thought it was a sensible idea to have our own retail space. Our mentor is the renowned fashion designer Caroline Charles, and she really championed the retail side. As she’s had her own business for over 40 years, we were inclined to take her advice! What’s the concept for the store? Our boutique is very much like walking into Belle & Bunty world! We stock our ready-to-wear collection, our bridal range, handpicked complementary accessories by small British designers and occasion dresses. From inside the shop you can also see through to our design studio, so you get a glimpse of new designs on tailors’ dummies and new print and fabric ideas we’re working on. Why the Islington location? Originally the space was our design studio but we decided to turn that into
the boutique - it seemed like a sensible option and we knew there was a great local community here. Who shops at the store? What do your customers look for? After years of running on the fashion treadmill and doing two collections a year - which we showed at London Fashion Week - we’ve now decided to do our own thing and produce limited edition stock throughout the year; we constantly have new pieces in the shop. Seasonal collections seem impractical to us and to our shoppers. We offer classic, bright and vibrant designs that reflect our expertise in print and embroidery for those women who love feminine but wearable clothes. Celebrities that have worn our designs include Victoria Beckham, Lindsay Lohan, Fearne Cotton, Mylene Klass, Nicola Roberts, Claudia Winkleman, Heidi Range, Lauren Laverne and Christine Bleakley. belleandbunty.co.uk, 45 Brecknock Rd, N7 0BT, 020 7267 3322
26
CLOSE UP JUNE 2012.indd 26
31/05/2012 16:11