With the shadow of an uncertain Brexit falling over my buying trip and a need for a couple of days R’n’R after a year short of a holiday and long on hours I’d love to share some travel, fashion inspiration and some business reflections of one of Marshy & my favourite places. Jesus Peiro base their clients at the Hesperia Presidente on Avinguda Diagonal in the leafy banking and shopping district of the city.
DAY 1
Saturday was a spirit lifting, bright, sunny day. Marshy & I dropped our bags in seconds flat and headed out for a plate of polpo and patatas bravas from La Jacaranda near the hotel. A simple change of scene on a Saturday, a short flight to somewhere new began the slow process of diminishing the stresses of the last year.
Marshy always has a mission; going away with him turns me into an easily lead drifter. I offer no opinion where we roam, even if that means we wander the city ending up in The George Payne watching premier league football with excellent gin and tonics in a glass large enough to house several goldfish. Which, of course, we did, with a side order of spicy wings…
A chance encounter with a school friend of my daughter, a cab ride through the vibrant city lit for Christmas, supper at Vermuteria Casa Fausto and nightcaps with the ever lovely Marion, my agent, and one of the fantastic team from Jesus Peiro made for a long day after an early flight.
A magical, battery-recharging, solid night’s sleep, missing for most of the year and that you take for granted at points in your life, ensued.
DAY 2
Day two involved the serious business of a fashion show and some dress decisions. As I write this, I, like the rest of the country, am trying to process what Brexit will mean per se and what it will mean for my relationship with Jesus Peiro. I will willingly put my hand up as a Remainer. I will also willingly admit that I had failed to view myself as one of the ‘metropolitan elite.’ Frictionless trade, frictionless movement of labour, cross cultural inspiration, cities and urbanites all define fashion and the thought of this ending, regardless of my personal view, is very bad for business.
My buying reflected this. Five beautiful new dresses will be winging their way to The Chapel almost immediately. In a more encouraging year it would have been double. I had to stick to rigid price points in case import duty was added or Sterling crashed further.
Jesus Peiro provide a level of capacity, ethical production and affordable luxury that is simply not available in the UK and the fact that the will of the people voted against that saddens me enormously.
Pictures of the dresses are under wraps but suffice to say fans will love them. New fabrics and design details grace their much loved silhouettes.
Lunch was at the hotel. I managed to elongate eating into cocktails, talking shop with a brand new boutique owner and another I have known for years.
In the evening the very small British contingent and the global franchise clients were treated to dinner at Feroz; Instagram and interior heaven. I kid you not, ideas to steal, beautiful people hanging at the bar and toilets you don’t want to leave. My snaps do the place no justice…
DAY 3
Monday was bright and sunny and as Brits abroad we decided we would go out in virtually just T-shirts while the locals sported all manner of down-filled jackets. Having eschewed a summer holiday in favour of owning a tiny spot of Ripley High Street, Marshy and I felt entitled to sport sunnies and stare down raised eyebrows!
Breakfast of freshly baked, warm cinnamons buns & coffee at Cafe Europa was followed by a drift across town, down Passeig de Gracia, through the Barri Gotic to Port Vell for calamari & croquettes eaten while gawping at super yachts and googling their owners.
A wander back to Placa de Catalunya saw Marshy buy a jacket we had tracked through multiple branches of Zara and my fixing on my new shoe brand discovery Sarkany.
I bought the Botin Kim’s of course and Marshy’s new boots were found in a new independent shoe shop stocking Italian brand Le Ruemarcel.
The evening was spent with a couple of cocktails at Berlin Bar, a ‘quiet’ dinner and cocktails to celebrate buying The Chapel at the Dry Martini Speakeasy Barcelona.
The following morning I was nourished by Pepto Bismal and lots and lots of water.
JESUS PEIRO AND MISS BUSH
In June 2006 I impulsively jumped on a plane after receiving my decree nisi to take up a last minute invitation to Barcelona to view the Jesus Peiro collection for the first time. In 2014 Marshy & I went and slept. Seriously. In one of the most vibrant cities in the world we took 48 hours from Chapel renovation to simply sleep. I have danced ‘til dawn, sat on the roof of Soho House philosophising with Annabel from Love My Dress, been inspired by some of the best fashion shows I have ever seen, dreamt up the next phase of Luxe Bride in a beach bar with Leonie Lawmon.
I can still barely understand a word of Spanish, I am far from cosmopolitan. It may sound like that for my job is glamorous but some years this has been simply 48 hours out. I credit my trips for sourcing some of the most incredible products, inspiring Miss Bush to be better and taking time to reflect on how our collective businesses work with precious and rare networking time.
The idea that this will be made more difficult, more expensive – maybe even prohibitive in some cases – for all the huge amounts of trade and industry groups far beyond retail I see when working there seems unbelievable.
I feel my business is more singularly British by travelling and working in Europe. The inspiration to keep creating, keep innovating and to keep the eccentricity and passion for which brand Miss Bush is known comes from these trips. Yes too, to get a pat on the back and a fabulous meal out, from a designer label thanking us for being a great client reminds me what hosting and customer service should feel like. What true brand partnership feels like. What European partnership feels like.
I know to a staunch Brexiteer this will sound like another plea from the liberal elite to re-think. However I am not the elite; I work hard in my shop, I pay vast amount of taxes and I provide employment, training and educational placements. The opportunity to live, work and learn in Europe improves rather than diminishes our identity and if you get another chance to vote sometime soon spare a thought for independent retailers that are keeping the High Streets alive through this relationship with Europe.
Emma x