Morning:
13°c
A YEAR ago the only Jimmy Choo shoes likely to be found near Shepherd's Bush Green would have been packed in an expensive suitcase travelling from Kensington to Heathrow in a cab.
But just in time for Christmas, an outlet supplying the footwear loved by the rich and famous will open at the Westfield shopping centre.
Today's announcement comes as the Australian owners of the mall revealed it has already hit its target of 20 million visitors in its first year. By the time of the anniversary at the end of this month the total will be close to 22 million, Westfield bosses said.
It marks a remarkable turnaround for the £1.7billion precinct in Shepherd's Bush that launched in the teeth of the financial meltdown last autumn.
The decision to allow free parking for up to two hours - combined with a line-up of designer brands including Gucci, Prada and Louis Vuitton -appears to have paid off.
Michael Gutman, managing director of Westfield UK, said: "The centre had a very strong summer and is consolidating its role as a must-visit destination on the London tourism circuit. Nearly a year on from opening we are 99 per cent let across the centre, which is above our national average of 97 per cent."
Jimmy Choo shoes are worn by Nicole Kidman, Gwyneth Paltrow and Gordon Brown's wife Sarah and the new store will help seal Westfield's reputation as an alternative to the West End. There are only two stand-alone Jimmy Choo outlets in London, in Bond Street and Sloane Street.
The 1,426sq ft Westfield outlet will also stock handbags, sunglasses and other accessories. Among the shoppers at Westfield were model Danielle Lloyd, 25, with her boyfriend, Portsmouth midfielder Jamie O'Hara, 23.
She said: "We've never been here before and we didn't know a Jimmy Choo was opening, but now we can come and spend lots of money. The shops are fantastic and we were even able to valet our car. We used to go to Bluewater, but this is much better."
Ex-boyfriend Teddy Sheringham once gave her a pair of £7,000 Choos.
Other brands opening in the "village" section of Westfield include fashion houses Red Valentino and M Missoni. Further openings for early next year include Ann Summers, a GymBox fitness centre and a digital 14-screen Vue cinema complex, the first of its kind in the capital. Three screens will have private champagne bars.
Reader views (1)
Is this the same Westfield that knocked down all the shops and dug a huge hole in the centre of Bradford a couple of years ago, and run out of cash, and has not been back?, or am I wrong?, Bradford is Conservative run Council?, or am I wrong?.
- David Crocket, Bradford, UK.
