A pair of Veja trainers can be spotted in any crowd in London — worn by writers, musicians and graphic designers.
The French footwear brand is now opening up in London on Monmouth Street next to the likes of Missoma, Le Labo and Crudo.
In 2023, the U.K. was Veja’s top market, outperforming France, Italy, Germany, Benelux and Spain.
“When choosing a new location, we look for a place that feels good inside, a place with a history. The London store used to be a hair salon for many years,” said Sébastien Kopp, co-founder of the brand.
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The store takes a minimal approach with clean neutral tones with a mix of raw and modern materials such as wood, bricks and concrete that will be used not only for selling shoes, but to host events and special projects.
Veja worked with Deidra Hodgson, a London-based interior designer to collaborate on the concept of the store with nuances such as 5,000 bricks that were made in France and choosing natural stones for their low impact.
“Natural stone bricks, unlike clay ones, are made without firing, which reduces their carbon footprint. These cool-toned bricks give a modern look to London’s style,” said Kopp.
Veja opened its first store in Paris in 2019, followed by New York the following year, then a store in Berlin in 2022 and one in Madrid in 2023.
London felt like a natural next step for the brand’s retail expansion and growth.
“Our first production run was 5,000 pairs for the whole world. In the beginning, Veja wasn’t a business, it was more of an adventure. Everyone promised us hell and told us it would never work, and there was no web back then,” said Kopp about the success of the footwear brand.
“In the end, we sold the 5,000 pairs to a few stores, but within 3 days they had nothing left and wanted to restock. We refused, saying ‘no, that won’t happen for another 6 months,’” he added.
The brand, which launched in 2004, now has a team of more than 500 and has been diversifying its product mix.
