Member Article

British designer Sophie Allport opens flagship store in the Victoria Quarter

British Designer Sophie Allport has opened her first high street shop in the historic Victoria Quarter in Leeds owned and managed by Hammerson.

Situated next to Paul Smith and Harvey Nichols, the store is in the Cross Arcade in Victoria Quarter’s elegant Grade 11 listed buildings, home to over 70 of the world’s leading fashion and lifestyle brands such as Louis Vuitton, Vivienne Westwood and Mulberry.

Sophie Allport runs her family business with her accountancy trained brother Jem. The head quarters are based near Stamford in Lincolnshire but Sophie knows Leeds well.

She studied Graphic Design, specialising in Illustration, at Leeds University where she gained a first class honours degree in 1995.

Sophie said: “I love the fact I’ve come back to my University city to open my first shop. We’ve worked incredibly hard to get the shop looking its best and are very excited to be sited in VQ which is such a stunning shopping destination.”

Sarah Fox, Head of Speciality Leasing for Hammerson added: “Sophie Allport is an excellent addition to Victoria Quarter and adds a real point of difference for customers. It’s fantastic to offer a UK based designer the opportunity to grow their retail business in one our schemes.”

The shop will be selling all of the Sophie Allport collections of kitchen textiles, fine bone china, stationery and oilcloth products in her popular Chicken, Labrador, Terrier, Busy Bee and Butterfly designs as well as her festive Robin and Stag collections.

There will also be other home interior products for sale including the brand new Scented Candle range plus furniture, mirrors, lamps, lanterns and some stunning bronzes.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Clare Burnett .