fleur b. Duke St. W1
Inspired by her customers and driven by her passion for fashion, Fleur Bird opened her first fleur b. boutique on Chelsea Green in May this year. But it was actually her most recently opened boutique, on Duke Street W1, which initially caught my eye. I love the way she has handpicked some of my favourite designers (Mother, American Vintage, Violet Lake) and added her own, classic, UK- manufactured line, fleur b. to the mix.
I had been offered a couple of non-me dresses for the London Film Festival and was planning to dig out an old silk dress from my wardrobe when Fleur offered me her Green Foundation Dress £320 for my date night with Ben Affleck.
Fleur Bird, designer & retailer
Divine to wear, it could be dressed up (as I did with patent heals) or teamed with black knee high boots, to make a perfect day dress.
I caught up with Fleur to ask her how she manages to cope with 3 babies, 2 shops and her own clothing line:
Where do you clothes shop? I love to shop. One of the greatest things about my job is that I get to travel a great deal. I always make time for shopping on a trip and can usually find boutiques and brands that aren’t stocked in the UK – often you may see them the following season in fleur b.
which is your favourite (non fleur b.) going out dress? I love to wear clothes made by other designers, as well as my own collections, hence the reason Fleur b boutiques will always stock other brands. I believe mixing designers is important for creating your own individual look. I brought the most amazing Philip Lim 3.1 dress in New York long before he was stocked in the UK. It is practically vintage now but every time I have a ‘do’, it’s my feel-great fall-back dress.
Me in fleur b. foundation dress at the Sanderson after party
how many shops do you plan to open? We are a very ambitious team but individuality is at the heart of our concept so we will need to find the right balance between demand and maintaining our exclusivity.
where would we find you on a sunny London morning – without the kids? Enjoying coffee and papers in the quiet oasis of Lancashire Court, close to Elemis, my favourite London spa.
best book ever read? Reading is pure escapism for me and I must admit I have read every book Penny Vincenzi has ever written – and eagerly await her next!
Grazia’s Fashion Editor Catherine Nieto in fleur b. silk navy shorts
best film ever seen? I loved the last film I saw, Skyfall. Bond never disappoints.
best meal eaten? Petersham Nurseries; it’s only open in the evenings over Christmas. Everything is grown locally and it is the most magical dining experience.
best advice ever given to you? Believe in yourself and don’t linger in the past; tomorrow is another day.
if you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be? Hong Kong, I used to travel there a lot when I was a buyer. I love its vibrancy and energy.
fleur b. 21 Duke St 020 7487 3915
