Brighton and Hove’s popular lifestyle independent Velvet is celebrating its 25th anniversary this October, marking a quarter-century of selling stylish fashion, accessories and homeware.
To honour the milestone, founder Emma Draper and her team hosted an in-store party and shopping event at the 5,000 sq ft Church Road store, bringing together loyal customers, friends and local celebrity Cherry Bomb for a night of fizz, fashion and music.
Cherry BombVelvet first opened in 2000 in Brighton’s North Laine after Emma and her mother Iris spotted a gap in the market for an aspirational lifestyle store. The small shop sold affordable jewellery, handbags and homewares – instantly attracting winding queues of shoppers. Since then, the business has evolved into fashion and expanded through several locations before finding its permanent home in Hove in 2009.
Today, the three-storey flagship offers affordable fashion and lifestyle products, with the majority of its clothing ordered in-season from the Bestseller Group. In May this year, Velvet also doubled in size with the launch of a new menswear department.
Notably, Velvet remains proudly bricks-and-mortar only, with no plans to sell online.
Emma with some of the teamDraper describes Velvet as a true family effort, shaped not only by its loyal team but also by generations of her own family, with her father George, mother Iris, sister and three sons all playing a part in its story.
Reflecting on the celebrations, the founder says: “Wow, what an absolutely incredible night! I’m truly touched by all our amazing customers who came to celebrate our 25th birthday with us – it meant the world. It was such a fabulous evening, with my amazing team working so hard – while sipping a little Prosecco and dancing too! I’m feeling so full of pride and love. Thank you again to everyone who joined us – it really was so special.”