Jane Winkworth

Happy Twenty Fifth Birthday to French Sole. August 08th 2014

Competition is now closed French Sole celebrates Twenty Five gloriously happy years in business this year. It is very hard to believe that from a few humble and simple ballet flats, sold to friends from my dining room table back in 1989 in aid of the NSPCC charity, that this enormously successful global brand name has since evolved.

To celebrate such an incredible milestone, I am giving away a pair of my Signature Celebration shoes - featuring our famous French poodles - the winner may choose any pair from this collection, a Celebration silk and cashmere large wraparound scarf, featuring hand painted shoes (by me!) from the past twenty five years of my shoe designs and also a copy of the wonderful book Lessons from Madame Chic by Jennifer L. Scott which is a “must have” style bible for every day.



Competition is now closed

Celebrating her own twenty five remarkable years in business, is the incredible designer (my design “guru”) Rachel Ashwell who launched the globally successful interiors company Shabby Chic. I first discovered Rachel almost twenty years ago when I was embarking on a big design project in Portugal when I rescued my crumbling, hilltop house and restored it to it’s current glory of total Shabby Chic with every room inspired by Rachel’s glorious ideas.

I was so thrilled when asked to design a collaborative collection of shoes with Rachel, featuring her unique floral textiles and these will be on sale through all the London Sole stores in America and through the Rachel Ashwell Shabby Chic Couture stores around the world and also through all the French Sole stores and of course on-line for both companies.

I would urge anyone who loves vintage with a twist, paper roses and peeling paintwork, French wirework and sumptious vintage bedding, floral cushions edged in Victorian styled ruffles and barley twist lamp stands to visit Google and just simply type in Shabby Chic ( Rachel owns the trademark to this name - clever girl !) and you will find thousands of images of Rachel’s style and work.

There are several other famous names also sharing their twenty fifth birthday’s this year - most notably the Worldwide Web, created by Sir Tim Berners-Lee back in 1989. The “Simpsons” first appeared on our television screens and kept my three teenage children happily glued to the TV for hours of quite unsuitable viewing and Sir Terence Conran opened The Design Museum which everyone I know simply loves and adores and the lovely Rachel Ashwell founded Shabby Chic.

I feel that French Sole is in very good company!!



Categories: Work

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Charities Jane supports:

The Royal ballet school English National Ballet Starlight ACCA The Royal Marsden Havens Hospice