LONDON — Victoria Beckham has marked the 10-year anniversary of her Dover Street store with a holiday makeover by one of London’s hottest interior designers, Rose Uniacke.
Beckham ceded all control to Uniacke, who turned the walls dark green, and filled the space with twinkling Christmas trees.
Uniacke also had a say in the merchandising, too, color-blocking the clothing on rails and displaying looks on chairs and sofas, as if it were a private home.
Beckham said it was easy to hand over the project to Uniacke, with whom she’s worked many times before.
“I trust her so much and respect her taste level and her aesthetic that I literally not only let her redesign the whole store, she also re-merchandised the collections as well,” Beckham said during the opening party at the store.
Greta Gerwig and Victoria Beckham.
Courtesy of Victoria Beckham/James D. Kelly
Uniacke incorporated fabric panels and velvet curtains into the Farshid Moussavi-designed store, and added furniture, too.
There is a valet chair from the ’50s; an 18th-century Swedish mirror by Gustav Precht; a Rose Uniacke Jane sofa; a rare mineral crystal geode table lamp by Marc Duplantier; a Gio Ponti desk, and wall weavings by Collingwood.
“It was important to me that the visitor move through the shop in the same way they might move through their own house,” Uniacke said. “Journeys and color stories are a big part of what I do. Organizing the collection by color, and lighting objects and clothing so that they would shine in clean counterpoint has – I hope – created a space that feels uplifting and exciting.”
The entire space has been repainted in a dark green called Thyme, which was specifically developed for the store, and will be available in Uniacke’s range of mineral-based, ecological and natural paints.
David Heyman, Rose Uniacke, Victoria Beckham and David Beckham.
Courtesy of Victoria Beckham/James D. Kelly
During the cocktail on Thursday night, Beckham was in high spirits as she greeted her husband, David, their daughter Harper and guests including Greta Gerwig, Misan Harriman, Maria Balshaw Rose, and Peter Hawkings.
She was wearing a tailored suit from her resort 2025 collection that was inspired by Helmut Newton, and carrying a square Dorian bag, with a B buckle.
Even before the holiday refurb, the store has been a hit with customers.
“Our sales are doing so phenomenally well, and the store is on fire right now. Partywear at this time of the year is doing very well, so are jersey dresses, tailoring, denim, our belts and the Dorian bag has sold out,” said Beckham.
Peter Hakwings
Courtesy of Victoria Beckham/James D. Kelly
Going into 2025, the designer has big ambitions, and said her wish list includes openings in New York and Paris.
“The business has been through an enormous amount, but we really see an appetite and opportunity for retail. I’m so proud of the fact that it’s not easy out there, and we’re doing incredibly well right now. Retail is how our customers can come and truly experience the brand,” she added.
Fashion and accessories take up most of the space, although Victoria Beckham Beauty, and her new fragrances, have a presence on the ground floor.
As reported, in fiscal 2023 Victoria Beckham Ltd. reported a 52 percent uptick in total revenue to 89.1 million pounds in 2023 compared with the previous year. It was the third consecutive period of high-double-digit growth.
In 2023, adjusted EBITDA, or earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, reached 1.8 million pounds, compared with 200,000 pounds in 2022.