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It may be a little bit off the beaten track, but Mount Street has now been established as the luxury London fashion destination. Just off the main shopping thoroughfares of Oxford Street and Bond Street, it is like a pot of gold at the end of the retail rainbow. It has been wonderful to see the early buzz about the area continue with sustained growth, and now it is the place to be and be seen for many a large and small fashion brand.
There is also an array of choice eateries, whether you need a quick refuel or a lavish feast, everything from great sandwich shops to Michelin-starred restaurants. And the gorgeous Mount Street Gardens provide a little haven to recuperate in, weather permitting of course.
Mount Street is also the template for a new age of civilised shopping, where service isn’t just of the pre-packaged, McDonald’s-style "have a nice day" variety, but includes real, thoughtful human contact. This is the street that houses all the best new temples of retail, from the ever-so-hot Céline to the storied luggage-maker Moynat. Excitingly, Roksanda Illinic and Christopher Kane will soon open flagship stores there too, both sure to help keep the fashion economy moving. Gianvito Rossi is another welcome addition, opening a few weeks ago to gasps of excitement from shoe lovers.
Gianvito, the son of Sergio Rossi, has quickly gained a solid "footing" as the new establishment in the world of footwear. He grew up on the floor above his father’s factory in Rimini, where Casadei and Zanotti also have their factories, making it a perfect little island of Italian shoe-making. The family tradition is set to continue with his 17-year-old daughter, who is going straight from secondary school to spend a few weeks of this summer on the shop floors of both the London and Paris stores.
Rossi’s heels debuted with three messages: sexy, sexy, and sexy, and they remain resolute despite this season's trend for flats and sneakers. At the new shop I ask him whether he will be sticking with the highest of heels. He says with conviction that the high-heel stiletto will never go away, that it is too important and too much of a classic. According to Rossi, it's all about proportion and styling, and that if you do make a lower heel you must "be careful not to make it look too boring, too conservative".
I get the point. You go to Gianvito Rossi for a heel that makes you taller, makes you stand up straighter, and with more attitude. If you feel a flat moment coming on you should probably look elsewhere, although Rossi could accommodate you with a nice pointy pair. In a tongue-in-cheek exclusive for the London shop he has made a Union Flag mule – if only the Spice Girls were still around!
His new London boutique comes on the heels of other shops in Milan, Paris and Hong Kong, all sharing discreet but chic locations, with another set to open on New York’s Upper East Side at the end of August. The call of Hollywood’s red carpet seems to be the most logical next step, so hurry down if you want to beat the screen sirens to be the next big thing.
site: www.telegraph.co.uk
