Forget Me Not Argentinian Designer Fashion Lands In Brighton
Handmade, high-quality Argentinian dresses and urban wear arrived in Brighton for the first time this November with the opening of new clothes retailer, Forget Me Not. Spread over two floors in Prince Albert Street, in the Lanes, the store is the first and only European stockist of leading Argentinian designers Natalia Antolin and Jazmin Chebar, and bags and accessories firm Juanita Jo. Forget Me Not is a must-visit for women of all shapes and sizes, with each hand-picked piece chosen to feel incredible to wear and cut exquisitely to highlight the beauty of women.
Forget Me Not is the creation of four friends and Btighton & Hove residents Narela Ortolani, Gisela Paulucci, Sebastian Puga and Brighton & Hove Albion defender Ezequiel Schelotto. The store’s motto is “More than clothes” with an emphasis on unhurried, luxurious shopping with friendly and expert advice. The Natalia Antolin collection features one-off, elegant dresses, many with intricate embroidery, by a designer who has created outfits for Daniella Semaan, Chelsea star Cesc Fabregas’s wife, and Antonella Roccuzzo, the wife of international football icon Lionel Messi. Jazmin Chebar’s urban wear features bright beautiful flowers and colours.
Bowled over by the exquisite designs and thoroughly intrigued by the diverse team behind the concept, Absolute Magazine met with co-owner Sebastian Puga to delve a little deeper into how the Forget Me Not story began…
How would you describe Forget Me Not to someone who has never visited? What sets the store apart from others?
Forget Me Not is an innovative shop, with different styles for every occasion and somewhere you will always find something unique and perfect. That’s also what makes FMN stand out from other stores, together with the fact that we really care; each customer is treated as the most important.
Who are your target market?
Our target market is all those people interested in fashion, beautiful clothes and great quality.
Tell us about the team behind this exciting new store. How did you come together and what are your roles?
The team behind this lovely store is more than a team; it’s a family whose goal is to make their customers happy in order to gain their loyalty, to build trust and guarantee a sincere and positive atmosphere around them and the shop.
We met each other in Brighton around a year ago. We became very good friends and we worked on the idea of opening the shop and make our dream come true. We all have different and complementary roles that help our business run successfully.
Forget Me Not is the first store to specialise in Argentinian dresses and urban wear in Brighton & Hove. What prompted you to open in Brighton and specifically The Lanes?
We decided to open this shop in The Lanes as this part of Brighton is very creative and inspiring. It’s also beautiful and full of character and that’s why there are a lot of tourists around. Brighton cares about fashion, local business and discovering new things and that’s why we believe it’s a great choice!
How did you decide which designers you will feature?
We chose these specific designers because we really believe in them. They were so right for us; the quality is great and the designs are very detailed. Totally unique!
Brighton has a thriving indie fashion store scene. What advice would you give to anyone hoping to follow your footsteps in the retail and fashion world?
We would give the advice to believe in your dreams, believe in your product, share the passion and go for it! It’s hard but it’s worth it.
Forget Me Not is already renowned for not only the beautiful clothes but also the little extras that add to the customer experience. Can you tell us about these?
Yes, we absolutely offer an experience to the customer – it’s not just about come in and buy beautiful clothes. We want them to feel at home, somewhere they can relax in a nice space, have a chat with us, with a nice cup of coffee or a glass of prosecco.
We are ready to provide great customer service because that’s what we love, making the customer feel comfortable, satisfied and wanting to return!
After such a successful launch, what does the future hold for Forget Me Not? Do you see the brand expanding to other cities?
Yes, the launch was very successful indeed! So much work went into the shop and you can see it in the attention to all the little details.
We can easily see how the brand could expand to other cities. It’s the first time these brands have been sold in the UK and Europe so we know that there is a lot of potential for expansion. Good clothes, accessories and great fashion will always be in vogue and this store has all of those.
We hope Forget Me Not will become the shop everybody hopes to have in their city. We are so proud of the project and we know it’s really going to blossom in so many ways!
Www.fmnclothes.com