Every DIVA's Dream!

My favourite store in the whole world (Selfridges) had a huge event last week. They opened their doors to the biggest shoe department in Europe (wouldn't you have loved to have been there). Just reading about it made me feel SO homesick.

Even Carrie Bradshaw could not have dreamed it up;35,000 sq ft of shopping space dedicted sole-ly (sorry!) to shoes.

It was unveiled on the eve of London Fashion Week.
Fashion royalty such as Vivienne Westwood were among the guests celebrating the London department store's new Shoe Galleries, where Paolo Nutini serenaded guests.

The vast space - which is bigger than Tate Modern's Turbine Hall - will showcase over 5,000 pairs of shoes from 120 brands, ranging from designer styles by the likes of Roger Vivier and Jimmy Choo, to collections from high street chains including River Island and All Saints.

Designed by architect Jamie Fobert, there are six different salons, each with a different look. In one, shoes are showcased like works of art on floating glass panes, appearing to float across the room. In another they are spotlit on long dark blue shelves.

And in anticipation of the shoppers likely to spend hours trying on the coveted designs, there is plenty of plush fuchsia pink seating.
The space will play host to 30 designs from labels including Balenciaga and Marc by Marc Jacobs, available exclusively to Selfridges.
There are 11 designer boutiques too, each with their own distinct style. The Chanel area is a recreation of Coco Chanel’s apartment, while the Christian Louboutin boutique boasts a red carpet and a trompe l’oeil chandelier.Can you imagine how wonderful to spend a Saturday afternoon playing about in Coco Chanel's apartment?

Ugg Australia hopes to inspire shoppers to buy its sheepskin boots with a chalet-style boutique, while Topshop's is the brand's first footwear department outside of its own stores.

The department even has its own restaurant, an outpost of French eatery Aubaine, should you run out of steam mid-shop.

Selfridges’ director of accessories, Sebastian Manes, said: 'The Shoe Galleries will be a new and exciting way to experience shoe shopping within one huge space.
'The new department will fit perfectly into the essence of what Selfridges is - a place where everyone can find something extraordinary to buy, from the inexpensive to the luxurious.'

Definitley a "pit-stop" for me when I go in December.

Next blog post I will bring you more fun facts about the fabulous shop called Selfridges.



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