ROLAND MOURET OPENS HIS DOORS

 “It is so twenty-first century!” enthuses Roland Mouret, reclining on a seventies metallic velvet sofa that graces the second floor (womenswear) of 8 Carlos Place, his new store (his first) and design studio in Mayfair. It’s a gorgeous building—a former embassy and bank—and a great neighborhood: near to Balenciaga, Lanvin, Christian Louboutin, and around the corner from where Nicholas Kirkwood will soon open his own first shop. “Everything about it makes it a really relevant place at the moment, but the street is not pretentious, it’s just chic!”

But the store is more than just a store for Mouret. It’s also a lab to test new ideas. First up, the limited-edition Roland Mouret at 8 Carlos Place line, where he will debut his first sunglasses (Italian-made aviators), handmade English shoes for his Mr. by Roland Mouret men’s collection, and reissue three of his best-selling dress styles from the archive, the Galaxy, Moon, and Pigalle, in their original colors and fabrics. If it’s a success, more will come. “It’s an experimental product,” the designer says, “and it’s amazing because without these walls I couldn’t do that!”

Understanding the power of the space, he’s keen to share it with others. “I want this place to give the support I can to London’s young designers,” he continues. “I will put in place some kind of collaboration with young designers here because I know what the real problems for them are. My idea is to have a day or two in the season where they can use this place just for themselves, to sell their own product directly to the customer, at their own price, and to use it as a cash flow to balance things. I want to have a place for them here.”