Velasca to open on Chiltern Street, will add to menswear offer on high-end thoroughfare

By

Sandra Halliday

Published
Oct 31, 2019

High-end Italian shoemaker Velasca is opening a boutique on Chiltern Street in the upscale Marylebone area of London, taking space in an area owned by one of the city’s key retail landlords, The Portman Estate.

The opening increases the independent men’s fashion offer on the street to 13 brands, after a number of openings in recent years. They include Casely-Hayford and Dashing Tweeds, which both opened their first standalone stores on the street in 2018.

Velasca currently has nine physical shops, eight of them in Italy (Milan, Turin, Rome, Bologna and Florence) with one in Paris.

Philip Norris, Director – Commercial Asset Management at The Portman Estate, said the signing of Velasca “is testament to the street’s continued appeal to quality, independent and international retailers. Chiltern Street has established itself as a specialist shopping destination with a slow-fashion mindset. Velasca perfectly aligns with this ethos.”

The boutique will be the brand’s first store in the UK, and will offer the full collection of classic shoes and accessories. 

It’s a strong proposition for a street that’s focused on luxury fashion with each pair of Velasca shoes being handmade in the Marche region of Italy.

Co-founder Jacopo Sebastio, said of the move: “With its community of one-off concepts and like-minded brands that champion quality craftsmanship, Marylebone’s Chiltern Street is a great fit for Velasca. In the heart of one of the world’s style capitals, and with an abundance of local hotels and attractions bringing visitors from around the world, as well as a strong local community of residents and workers, this was the obvious choice for our UK flagship store - or as we call it ‘Bottega’."

Other retailers on Chiltern Street at present include Trunk LABs and Clothiers (a curated mix of international fashion and accessories brands) and Turkish shoemaker Sabah, which first launched in New York. These sit alongside cult British brands including Sunspel, English Cut, Hamilton & Hare, Grey Flannel, and John Simons.