A new high fashion Wilmslow store opened on September 2nd offering 'buy now, keep forever' clothes exclusively in black, white and denim.
Understanding that this trio of colours is at the heart of every woman's wardrobe, creator Jo Davies, from Bowden, has handpicked the very best contemporary designers and edited their collections to bring together an inspired choice on which shoppers can base their wardrobe.
McQ, By Malene Birger and J Brand Jeans have all made the selection, in which Jo has mixed in rising stars such as Carven, L'Agence, Rag & Bone NY and ACNE to develop this new retail concept. In total, 20 designers will be showcased.
I visited the stunning new Black White Denim store yesterday to view their Autumn/Winter collection which features the perfect little black dress from Carven, the most beautifully tailored jacket from McQ and stunning accessories from Lara Bohinc, many of which aren't available outside London.
Jo Davies explained "Modern women need stylish, purposeful clothes that can transition from the school run to work, and from lunch with the girls to a big night out.
"Get the three essential building blocks of black, white and denim right and everything will fall into place. You simply can't go wrong. We will only feature investment pieces encouraging shoppers to create the foundations of a stylish wardrobe that can be carried through seasons and beyond years.
"The purpose of Black White Denim is to make looking good effortless. We've decoded fashion to give you a new approach to structuring your wardrobe, so that with every garment you can build it, work it, love it."
Convinced that Black White Denim will become a destination shop for many, Jo has spent the last few months creating a layout and look for the Wilmslow store that's as inspirational as the clothes themselves.
The white walls and oak flooring are inspired by the Marais district of Paris and allow the clothes, arranged by designer, to take centre stage. The interior design style is an eclectic mix of antique and contemporary with each piece of furniture a statement in itself. The ground-floor sales area features a denim wall made from apple crates sourced in Wiltshire, a potter's wheel that makes the perfect pedestal on which to display an exquisite shoe and an intricate wooden decorator's ladder accessorised with handbags, belts and scarves.
The relaxed and intimate personal shopping studio on the first floor, where customers can build their wardobe with a stylist, features the latest lighting from Moooi, an oversize Italian rococo-style mirror and a turn-of-the-century armoire from a German antiques market.
Jo has always loved fashion but the idea for a unique ladieswear store came unexpectedly at a friend's baby shower in May 2009. Sipping non-alcoholic cocktails at Harvey Nichols in Manchester, Jo was asked, as part of a fun quiz, to describe the contents of the mum-to-be's wardrobe. Her response was 'black, white & denim.'
When every woman in the room spontaneously agreed that their style could also be described using the same three words, the seed of a retailing concept was sown. Jo left Harvey Nichols instantly realising that she had unlocked the DNA of any stylish woman's wardrobe and within weeks Jo was off to Paris and London, meeting designers and discussing the concept. By September 2009, she was hunting for premises and the idea was quickly becoming reality.
In spring 2010, Jo embarked on a series of buying trips, viewing collections and editing them down to make the final selections. Cycling between appointments through the streets of Paris, Jo signed up L'Agence, Carven and Rag & Bone NY.
Jo said "There were so many stunning clothes to choose from, but I edited and edited my selections until I was confident that every item I chose would become a treasured piece in the wardrobe. That's the key to Black White Denim. I concentrate on 'buy now, keep forever' classics. You can add splashes of colour to this holy trinity of style through fast fashion and accessories.
Jo's fascination with fashion stems from her childhood. As the daughter of a seamstress, Jo's wardrobe growing up was full of unique pieces handmade for her by her mother – with the occasional matching outfit for her Sindy doll.
"My love of fashion came from spending hours as a child dressing & undressing dolls, mixing up outfits and experimenting with looks. Sindy's purple tutu looked amazing with Action Man's camouflage jacket stolen from my brother's bedroom."
Dreaming of opening a clothes shop at 16, but without the finance or the knowledge of where to start, Jo instead decided to climb the corporate ladder, working in sales and marketing for FMCG brands including Proctor & Gamble, PepsiCo and Molson Coors – and always looking fabulous.
After Jo, aged 43, gave birth to her son Gabriel 4 years ago she had time to re-evaluate her life and, with the support of her partner, David, she decided that it was time to make her childhood dream a reality.
Jo explained, "If I had opened a shop in my younger years it would have been filled with cutting-edge clothes that would be fashionable for a week before being sent to the charity shop. Understanding the difference between fashion and style takes experience – and that's exactly why now is the right time for Black White Denim".
Jo plans more Black White Denim stores in the future in affluent suburbs in the South East, Cotswolds & Yorkshire and will be taking the website transactional from February 2011.
For further information visit the Black White Denim website.
