British shoe designer, Jane Winkworth is known by the fashion press as ‘Queen of Ballet Flats’ and is the founder of French Sole, home of the original, own-brand, designer Ballet Flats.
Charlotte-Anne Fidler,
Creative and Fashion Director.
A regular question I often get when bumping into my old customers from the early Munster Road or Ellis Street days is - “What ever happened to…” followed by the name of one or more of my amazing girls who were all such an important and integral part of the French Sole story back in the heady days of the Charity Sales and Princess Diana.
The New Year brought a flurry of emails from people wanting to know what is going on at French Sole?
After I sold French Sole back in late 2017, I planned to completely retire, do nothing at all - just laze around enjoying life, my grandchildren and planning renovations in my garden.
French Sole first began life in the 1960’s when shoe designer Jane Winkworth was a teenager and holidaying in the South of France. As a life-long devotee of everything “ballet” Jane adored wearing ballet flats. After stumbling upon a tiny store in St Tropez which sold a range of brightly coloured ballet flats, she bought several pairs. She decided there and then that one day she would design and sell her own range of ballet flats for everyday wear - and so the story begins.