street – observes: “The street is buzzing again; it’s getting back that unique feel which has attracted shoppers for decades”.
In that context, the arrival of Hill & Friends could prove to be a watershed moment. The high-fashion handbag brand has taken all four floors of no. 63 and is using it as its first physical retail outlet, but also its offices and a place to meet with buyers from the stores like nearby Selfridges who carry its lines.
That is all now changing thanks to the major London landlord, Grosvenor, which has increased its ownerships along the street – it now controls around a third of shops – and is implementing a new vision.
Joanna Lea, Grosvenor’s Retail Director, comments: “We want our London estate in the West End to be more flexible, more open and more appealing, and our retail strategy will help to drive that vision. What we are aiming for on South Molton Street is very much an embodiment of that vision”.
Given its close proximity to Bond Street station, South Molton Street will be a major beneficiary of the enhanced footfall which will flow once the Elizabeth Line opens next year.
Paul Souber, Colliers’ Head of Central London Retail Agency team – which is advising Grosvenor on the leasing of the
Hill & Friends Creative Director, Emma Hill CBE, has long been a South Molton Street fan: “I’ve always loved the street. When I was growing up it was a fashion mecca, home to the bravest, coolest independent fashion brands. I love that the street is pedestrianised, in the heart of the West End and has a neighbourhood feel. It’s anchored at one end by one of my all-time favourite stores, Browns.
“As soon as I saw the space it felt like home, the perfect place to share our gorgeous bags and crazy ideas with the amazing women who shop with us.”
Hill and her co-founder, Georgia Fendley, hope that the shop – with its signature pink décor and performance space – will create an “immersive experience” for shoppers.
Colliers’ Sara Law – who worked on the Hill & Friends letting – believes that it does signal the start of a new and exciting era for the location: “For this cutting-edge, globally- recognised brand to choose South Molton Street is a major endorsement and has brought a new dimension to the pitch”.
Browse | Q3 2017
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