I wish I had taken pictures of our Chelsea boutique exactly as it was when I took it over. I realised my error once most of it had been stripped out and took some then, but this was after the bright yellow floral wallpaper that was on every single inch of the place - ceiling included - had been stripped off. Let's just say it was a huge job (I'm saying this like I had to do it personally).
Seeing a shop come together is so exciting. Everything is last minute - there can be sanders and painters still hanging around 5 hours before you're due to open your doors. It always comes together somehow. Whenever I see someone opening a shop or restaurant it'll look like a bomb site one day, and the next it will be all gleaming surfaces and serenely smiling assistants. Quick turnaround is the name of the game.
I can clearly remember receiving an email from a friend of mine who was helping with the launch party and she said that we need to 'get those tills ringing'. I was like WHAT??!! I was pushing the till and taking money part to the back of my mind. I knew I had to sell things of course, but the fear that no one would ever come in and I wouldn't sell a single pair of jeans was definitely there.
Before we had even opened I started selling though - Chelsea ladies wait for no man. Our first ever customer was a fellow Aussie called Georgie and she was banging on the door as we were unpacking the stock and bought two pairs of Paige Premium Denim. And we were off!
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