1.When did you decide to start the Pepa London business, and how long did it take to get up and running?
I cannot believe I started the business 10 years ago, and we have done so much in that time! It has been a labour of love and dedication. Each year we develop and push ourselves further – either launching new products, or collaborations. We constantly thrive to deliver for our customers, they help inform our decisions (as everything we do is for them), so in that context everything is always a work in progress to get it running even better each season.
2.Is Brompton Cross the first physical location of Pepa London?
We have another store in Elizabeth Street but opening the new Brompton Cross store in 2024 felt like the perfect second location for our brand. We feel that Brompton Cross has a very international community and our brand would resonate with the visitors in this area. We are lucky to have such a genuine local London audience but we are also fortunate to meet many international visitors who regularly pass by the area.
3.When did the shop open? What was it like to have a bricks and mortar location?
Opening a second store for Pepa London in summer 2024 was the most amazing feeling for me and was a real milestone for the brand. We had a fabulous press launch event alongside an unveiling of our collaboration with Candice Lake and her edit of the AW24 collection. We also had the pleasure of meeting many customers in the area.
The quality of our clothing needs to be seen and touched in person as a standout from anything you can feel online in our website. I have spent so much time in the store getting to know our customers and understanding what they need from us in a shopping experience and being able to connect and interact with them together in the space has been instrumental for our growth. I am so proud of what we have achieved with the store so far.
4.Do you work in the shop yourself? What is a typical day there like?
I try to go to each store weekly – often for private appointments, events, or to catch up with the team and new products when they arrive. I love meeting our customers and get so much positive energy and motivation from their passion about our brand.
5.Are there any favourite local places you have discovered?
We love our street and have so many favourite local spots! Daylesford Organic is a great spot to meet friends for coffee. Matthew (my four-year-old son) loves the Natural History Museum and The Science Museum located close by, and the flower store near us at Bibendum is my go-to place for flowers.