So today’s the day……….Looking forward to a fun evening with some lovely footwear friends, absolutely thrilled to be a finalist. Good luck everyone! x
SHORTLIST SPOTLIGHT: Nicola SextonOn her return to England in 2010, having worked in the South of France, Nicola Sexton gained the confidence to follow her passion and open a shoe boutique after receive regular compliments on the shoes that she was wearing. Nicola Sexton carefully selected unknown Italian and Spanish footwear brands (including ones she enjoyed wearing whilst in the South of France), many of which have become exclusive to her in the UK and rapidly built a solid customer base. Later Nicola started her own label “The Nicola Sexton Collection which has taken off almost as quickly as her retail business and now Nicola Sexton has been shortlisted for Growing Brand of the Year at the 2014 Drapers Footwear and Accessories Awards.
After completing her first retail season Nicola Sexton was able to identify a gap in the market for a more wearable stylish shoe to complement her brands and also give customers the complete range from day to evening wear. This led to the birth of the “The Nicola Sexton Collection” which was later spotted by a footwear agent who asked Nicola to consider wholesaling.
Nicola Sexton’s business portfolio now comprises of a retail store in Bury St Edmunds and a wholesale division that supplying independent retailers in the UK and now an export business having launched the brand globally in Las Vegas where she won the Footwear Friends BFA/FN Platform at Magic award.
As a retailer Nicole Sexton has carefully selected designer brands that were unknown to the market but since have been spotted on the feet of Yasmin Le Bon, Joanna Lumley and Amanda Redman, all of whom found the styles via Nicola’s own store. Many professional ladies now travel from London to Nicola’s store to find something that cannot be purchased in the capital or elsewhere.
Nicola Sexton has managed to not only spot a gap in the market for her retail operation, bringing unknown designer brands to the UK but has also successfully started to wholesale her own label too.
Nicola Sexton has been shortlisted for Growing Brand of the Year at the 2014 Drapers Footwear and Accessories Awards. The winners will be announced at a black tie ceremony at the Hilton Park Lane, London on May 1st 2014.
