If anyone’s living out their dream in London, it’s Alyssa Iaquinto and Lily Quenneville – two Americans who met in the UK, quit their fashion jobs and opened their own multi-brand boutique in Notting Hill.
Located at the northern tip of Portobello Road in trendy Golborne Village, their brainchild Rove London has become a go-to fashion destination for women in the know. And while it’s only just celebrated its third anniversary, the 800sq ft store has already amassed a loyal customer base of well-heeled locals alongside an online shop that draws in fashion fans nationwide.
Yet the co-founders only met by chance. As expats living in London, they quickly bonded over a shared frustration at not being able to find their favourite brands.
Both were working in fashion at the time – Iaquinto was buying and merchandise planning for Abercrombie and Fitch while Quenneville was working in fashion wholesale. They soon realised they had all the skills – and ambition – to open their own boutique: “It’s something we’d both always wanted to do,” says Quenneville. “Our shared vision was to bring all the labels we love from around the world to London.”
A roving eye
Rove London carries a carefully curated edit of premium womenswear alongside fashion jewellery and accessories. While it was originally intended for a younger demographic, Iaquinto and Quenneville say its higher price tag tends to appeal to working professionals in their 30s and 40s.
Exclusivity, quality and classic-yet-trend-conscious designs are all hallmarks of the store’s unique product mix: “Our curation is based on our personal style, which is always changing and evolving,” says Quenneville. “We love dainty floral prints, ruffles and colour. It’s not particularly minimalist; it’s much more playful.”
On Rove’s airy, minimalist shop floor, shoppers can browse mid to high-end labels such as US brand Dôen – “our biggest bestseller, without fail” – alongside beautiful ready-to-wear dresses from LA’s Staud, “amazing quality” cashmere by Soft Goat and vintage-inspired jewellery from Heaven Mayhem. “We’re the only UK stockist for many labels,” says Iaquinto. “We want customers to come here and find pieces they can’t find anywhere else. Plus, it gives them another reason to try things on in person.”
This season the retailer has also introduced dainty earrings and necklaces by American designer Lili Claspe, which sold out within days of entering the shop floor, and its first ever London-based brand: De La Vali, offering cool boho-style beachwear and dresses for golden hour.
Rove also stocks more mainstream premium labels including Agolde, Faithfull the Brand and Simkhai. And for AW26, it is bringing in Danish favourite By Malene Birger as the brand prepares to expand its presence within the UK. “It’s already well-known but we think our customers are going to love it.”
A tale of two cities
Iaquinto and Quenneville always buy together, travelling to Paris four times a year to visit brand and agent showrooms: “The brands we work with generally all show there, which works really well because we can see so much in one trip. We also spend time shopping to see what other boutiques are doing and discover new favourite brands.”
The co-founders say they are specifically looking for styles with a mid-luxury price tag that “feel timeless but still have a fashion-forward edge.” They hold off placing a single order until they’ve seen everything, then make showroom selections and create a master mood board. This enables them to build outfits and consider how the collections will be merchandised in-store before committing seasonal budgets.
Customer feedback is a key part of each buying trip – and they actively share the process with their followers on social media: “While we’re there we’ll ask them to vote on colours or styles. They love getting involved and we genuinely take that feedback into account,” says Iaquinto.
Quenneville adds: “Because we love buying so much it’s easy to get carried away, so we always have to look at everything through the customer’s eyes. We’re in the store talking to our customers every single day so we know what they’re looking for. Many are very brand savvy too and will tell us about new labels they’d like us to stock.”
The co-founders also use sales data to review what worked and what didn’t. Other times they’ll throw in a wild card just because it’s something they personally love: “We brought in a mini dress this season that we didn’t think would sell – but 20 units flew out in one week. Sometimes a risk can pay off.”
Hot girl summer
It’s no surprise that summer’s biggest sellers have been heatwave friendly, throw-on dresses and separates. “Our customers are looking for easy-to-wear pieces that will stand the test of time,” says Quenneville. They’re also more open to having more fun during the warmer months than they are once the temperature dips: “By the winter, it’s more about wardrobe staples such as great jeans, a good sweater and outerwear. Accessories are where they’re willing to experiment.”
Last summer, Rove London also introduced a bridal edit made up of white dresses from brands such as Shona Joy, Simkhai and Tresse. “More and more customers were asking for bridal pieces – not necessarily for the wedding day itself, but for the hen party, rehearsal dinner or second look.”
As part of its launch, the retailer collaborated with SheerLuxe to host a bridal evening where they styled their favourite looks and helped guests create outfits. “It gave us an opportunity to chat with London’s bridal community and find out what they were shopping for. It was a really fun event.”
So far, the concept has been popular and will remain a part of its SS27 line-up too: “It’s worked well, but next season we’re going to carry it forward a little bit differently with more statement styles,” says Iaquinto.
Community spirit
Creating a community is something the co-founders value greatly and they say the store is a place customers come to browse, buy or just call in for a catch up: “We’re the face of the brand and we want to stay connected with our customers,” says Quenneville. “Many have even become our friends.”
This year Rove has hosted a series of shopping events and workshops in-store, such as a jewellery-making class and podcast launch. “We’ve also done some influencer activity, but community events have had a far bigger impact. We’d love to do more because they help customers feel more involved and they’re a nice way to thank them for their support.”
Social media is another key sales driver for the co-founders. With a strong presence on both Instagram and TikTok, they say the aim for both channels is to build a community while giving shoppers a reason to visit the store. “It has made a huge difference in driving brand awareness,” says Iaquinto. “Customers tell us they found us through our social media channels multiple times a day.”
Rove’s strategy is founder-led, with both Iaquinto and Quenneville featuring in most – if not all – posts. “We focus on behind-the-scenes content. Customers are always very interested to know how we got here and enjoy feeling connected to the community. That creates a really loyal customer base.”
Followers also want to be first to know when new deliveries arrive, so unboxing videos rank highly: “Those posts generate some of our highest engagement rates,” Quenneville says. “People will often come into the shop that very day if they want something because they know we don’t stock huge quantities.”
To help with content creation, the pair now employ a dedicated social media manager who comes in once a week to film: “It’s great to have someone bringing in new ideas and a fresh perspective,” they say. “We’re both chronically online and we are inspired by trends and what other people are posting, but we always want our content to have its own personality.”
Growth area
While the co-founders’ biggest focus remains on in-store sales, online generates around 30 per cent of its revenue – and this is an area they hope to grow. They’ve recently introduced the Manychat Meta Business Partner tool, where customers can comment a word on a post to receive a shopping link: “We’re still in the trial phase, working out how we can grow our organic social media audience and experiment with different formats. We’re continuing to invest in social media because it helps keep customers coming back, and people genuinely like supporting small businesses.”
Looking ahead, Iaquinto and Quenneville have their sights set on expansion, with ambitions to open a second London location before eventually taking the concept back to the US. “We love that most of our customers still want to come in and see us to shop. The experience of bricks-and-mortar retail is unlike anything else. Our dream is to build on that.”
Before then, however, another renovation is at the top of their agenda – especially since the original opening was such a whirlwind. “We only had two weeks to transform the unit from a drab café to a chic boutique,” says Quenneville. “My husband is a builder, so he was able to help with the bigger jobs. But if I never touch a paintbrush again, it’ll be too soon.”
The plan is to completely reconfigure the shop floor next spring, moving the till to the back and introducing a sofa to create a more welcoming space. “You can feel disconnected from customers if you’re stood behind a counter,” says Iaquinto. “It will also be fun for friends to sit down while customers are trying things on. Having the benefit of three years in business means we’re much more confident about what we want.”
The colour scheme will also get a refresh. Only this time, there’ll be enough in the budget to leave the decorating to someone else.