Of course we loved absolutely everything about the new Anthropologie on Regent Street, in fact we loved it so much we would happily pack our bags and move in. Maybe thats the appeal, it's not just a shop full of clothes, its a lifestyle experience. Absolutely everything has been considered and as we are the kind of people who spend hours curating our mantelpiece, we more than appreciate the attention to detail.
Credit has to go to the amazing visual merchandising team who flew in from the US to work on the store. Not only did they do a great job, making most of the props themselves, they also enlisted the help of the shop staff, all of whom talked with passion about how hard they worked to make the shop look so stunning. Hand made plastic chandeliers, a giant whale made out of discarded packaging, a fabric tree made from fabric scraps and a window display assembled from thousands of tea bags, were just a few of the features, the staff enthused about. Our favourite was the living wall which is watered every day with rainwater from the roof. When we walked into the shop, we were so overwhelmed by it, we forgot we were in a clothes shop.
The store design is eclectic yet homely, eccentric yet sleek and the changing rooms are quite simply the nicest we have ever been in (and you know we don't like changing rooms)
So what about the merchandise? Well we can guarantee you will not leave this shop without a purchase. There is something for every budget, from a tiny bar of soap to a giant pottery polar bear for £8000 (every home should have one) and unlike the US stores there is less clutter and therefore it's less overwhelming and easier to shop. The homeware and accessories are sourced from all over the world and are a combination of core products and unique one off finds. The feeling that you are entering the home of a fabulously eccentric world traveler with exquisite taste, is what makes the whole experience so enticing.
So what did we love? Well almost everything, but our favourites, were the gorgeous vintage style aprons (we would be temped to wear as a dress), the glitter and feather birds for Christmas (we can't wait to see the whole Christmas range) and the truly fabulous huge statement necklaces, which would make any simple outfit look stunning.
The clothing range is a combination of exclusive limited edition ranges and the well edited easy, to wear feminine fashion we have seen in the US. The team were keen to point out that in the future the store will offer specially designed ranges by British designers such as Eley Kishimoto.
The clothing is somewhat overwhelmed by the accessories and homeware, but that really doesn't seem to matter as we're sure it will gain momentum. We were disappointed there was no footwear range, as we had our eye on quite a few pair of shoes from the website.
With another shop due to open in the Kings road next March, we think the Brits are going to love Anthropologie just as much as the Americans. We now have a very long Christmas list!
