Posh Totty have set up shop in Camden Passage, bringing all things Scandi to north London with a touch of class
When Alice Rivers Cripps left for Mexico after graduating from university, she had no idea that she would return with two years experience in the Mayan tradition of jewelling and the inspiration to start her own business. Nor did she know that, come 2017, she would head upa team of 50 and run the largest bespoke jewellery workshop in the south of the country.
Add to that a chic interiors section and you’ve got yourself Posh Totty Designs. With ‘two and a half’ shops in Brighton, and a new store just opened in Camden Passage, Posh Totty Designs boasts a Posh Tots store selling all things, homewares and otherwise, for little ones and a pop up in Topshop, as well as running craft workshops. The brand lays claim to a host of celebrity followers including film and fashion A-listers Alexa Chung and Rachel McAdams, household names Miranda Hart and Holly Willoughby, and a range of male fans including Sir Richard Curtis, David Cameron and Jimmy Fallon.
Prior to opening in the spring, their first London store in Camden Passage was home to longstanding antiques dealer, Gordon Gridley. “It had been refurbished in the 60s, a little bit like Open All Hours; the kind of peg-board and hard-board that had been put up over the walls,” says Plum Phillips, head of communications. It was Chloe, head of retail, who hacked at the boards with a crowbar to reveal the hidden beauty of the building.
“She pulled off all the hardboard and, lo and behold, underneath all this were the original Victorian features. There was a beautiful fireplace with cast iron mouldings, and then as you’re looking towards the back of the shop on the right hand side there’s these old, lovely, hardwood planks that give a tongue and groove impression. They were distressed anyway because of age, and we just thought, that’s actually amazing and beautiful,” Plum goes on. “So we found some lovely treasures buried in the antiques shop itself.”
The sophisticated Camden Passage shop focuses more on interiors than the brand’s other locations, and each shop has its own character. “We were very keen to wait until the right space came along. And what we absolutely love about the Camden Passage area is how similar it is to The Lanes in Brighton. The independent shops thing, that’s something that we feel very strongly about,” Plum says.
Inside, Posh Totty Designs stocks a range of interiors products, currently with a focus on warm, pink hues and on-trend metallic tones. Their approach to homewares rests on the enduring maxim of designer, William Morris: ‘Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.’
As a result, Posh Totty Designs has plumped for a Nordic aesthetic for their interiors pieces. “That’s absolutely our vibe. We really like the clean, unfussy look,” says Plum. They currently stock Danish brands Hübsch and House Doctor as well as Om Interiors, Dassie and Madam Stolz. “We’re really particular about curating gorgeous collections that fit in with our style and our ethos. We pick items out with a lot of care and love,” she adds.
Whilst admittedly they don’t like to utter the words ‘yummy mummy’, Posh Totty Designs talk about their ideal customer almost daily. “They like a splash of luxury, and they really appreciate good, classic, clean design,” Plum says.
Whilst Posh Totty’s wax candles, with scents unique to the brand, are a best seller, their cushions also fly off the shelves. “We’ve recently started stocking really lovely, natural fibre rugs, they’re selling really well,” says Plum.
On the whole, Posh Totty’s customers in Camden Passage have been varied, from young professionals to gift buyers and interiors aficionados, but mostly from the surrounding area. “Our client base is pretty local,” explains Plum.
“The sort of people who live around the area and they do actually update their interiors look season to season, so that’s something they’re conscious of;colour trends, fabric and textures. Whether it’s just buying a cushion as a nod to a current interiors trend or actually doing their entire flat out, completely and quite frequently. We’ve got a lovely local loyal following already which we’re thrilled about.”
Posh Totty Designs, 41 Camden Passage, N1 8EA, UK, 020 3907 8020
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