LONDON — Vanessa Seward is bringing her effortless, bohemian style to London with the opening of her first boutique in the British capital, located on Notting Hill’s Ledbury Road.
Seward, who launched her label in 2015, has three stores in Paris, as well as one on Los Angeles’ Melrose Place. But the London opening, she said, felt like a homecoming as the Argentinian native lived here during the Seventies and has been drawing inspiration from English girls ever since.
“I lived in London from 1972 until 1980; my father was a diplomat, so my parents used to go out a lot to Embassy balls and Ascot and my mother would really dress up, it was a great time. I remember she’d take us shopping to places like Biba and we’d go to the country a lot. I always think that the English countryside is so chic and the people who live there are very inspiring, so I’ve always stayed very close to that, even through literature or films,” said Seward.
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The design of the store, which Seward worked on with French architect and longtime collaborator Laurent Deroo, mirrors signatures from the brand’s existing stores, such as midnight blue lacquer paneling and gold accents. Among the features is a stained-glass wall and a fitting area in the basement with wood and earth-toned fabric furniture. It has a warm, relaxing atmosphere reminiscent of a spa lounge.
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“I love this whole fitting area which is very cozy. It’s almost like a cocoon,” added the designer.
The boutique’s facade is also painted with the brand’s signature midnight blue, which adds a splash of color to Ledbury road, a quiet, elegant street known for its eclectic mix of independent boutiques such as Joseph, Zadig & Voltaire, A.P.C., Melissa Odabash and Matchesfashion.com.
“A.P.C. had been carrying the collaborations I had been doing with them, we had a really great response from the customers in the area, and felt that they understand the brand. I’m really seeing it today, too,” said Seward.
Notting Hill’s locals clearly have an intimate knowledge of the brand. The store has only been open a few days, and there they were, discussing past seasons’ items that were already in their wardrobes and trying on new ones.
The designer said she has always tried to foster a close relationship with her clientele, often hosting social events or dedicating a day to spend with customers in store. An event to celebrate the London opening is slated for March.
The boutique stocks a mix of the fall and spring collections, as well as one exclusive item, a sweatshirt with a print that reads “Excuse My French” that was specially created for the London launch.
Seward is eyeing a second opening in London if the Notting Hill boutique works well, and is also looking at other markets.
“We might slow down a little as we had five openings in the last year-and-a-half, but we are definitely thinking about more stores. I believe in retail and in the quality of customer service. We have a great team and I love watching them with the customers, introducing them to the brand and to pieces they wouldn’t have thought about picking up. Even if our web is doing well, it’s important to have physical touch points,” added the designer.
As her brand evolves, Seward said she would like to expand her accessories range to offer variety and a complete look for her customer, as well as explore other areas such as beauty. For her upcoming fall presentation, she plans to extend her eveningwear offer, drawing on from her background working at couture house Azzaro.
“Coming from Azzaro, I haven’t worked on eveningwear before, but it’s part of my education and it’s something that I can bring to the brand much more.”
Seward is also teaming with her husband, the musician Bertrand Burgalat, to launch a record with all the music he has created for the shows and events hosted by the brand, since its launch.
“He composed the music for the first collection and then for the other collections he’s been customizing some tracks, so I’m very proud to have that collaboration with him,” added the designer.