I’m Helen, owner and buyer for Nellie and Dove, and I have a mild obsession with clothes.
I expect this infatuation first started thanks to my Tiny Tears doll and her enviable wardrobe. *TINY*, had a tan corduroy hat & coat, with a white fur trim (she needed the hat, to cope with her many haircuts), an emerald green dress with matching jacket and a sparkly shift dress for special occasions - like judging Miss World.
*Tiny* After her first trim!
Treasures of the wardrobe
Fast forward 20 years and I had quite a collection of clothes I loved. Brands such as Ghost, Transit par Such and Artwork Blue - are still cherished in my wardrobe today, alongside a few treats from Jean-Paul Gaultier and my Vivienne Westwood wedding dress which is packed away like a piece of treasure.
There is something very special about well designed clothes, they become the affordable luxuries you can rely on in your wardrobe and the wisdom of your choice is backed by their very own longevity. All this ignited a passion within me and I frequently accompany friends on shopping trips or they pop over for wardrobe rummages.
In recent years I have been studying fashion, including corsetry, textiles, knitting and design… the office is currently a big cozy pad filled with the giant merino wool blanket I've been arm knitting. It was easy to make and quickly rewarding as it took me less than an hour! Ultimately all of this drove me towards a desire to open Nellie & Dove.
Two years, thousands of miles and 3000 brands later…
When the opportunity of opening a shop in the beautiful village of Deddington cropped up, I jumped at the chance! I’ve had two years to prepare for the shop launch - lots of time to perfect Nellie & Dove’s first collection. For the important buying missions I teamed up with a friend, Jane, whose taste I love, despite it differing from my own. Jane selects stunning, elegant timeless pieces, while I gravitate to quirky and unusual designs.
We’ve covered thousands of miles (literally!) at showrooms, fashion shows and trade shows, which has enabled us to see well over 3000 brands and designers and hand pick the most exciting lines for our Nellie & Dove launch. Jane is my perfect buying companion and together we have been able to select a variety of designs which will suit a range of different tastes and body shapes.
The Future for Nellie and Dove
The vision for Nellie and Dove is to become recognised as a place to meet designers, discover new brands and find beautiful and unique items to add to the discerning wardrobe.
Within 6 months of our launch we will have hosted a number of events, including ‘Meet the Designer’ evenings where our customers will hear first-hand about their creative journeys whilst enjoying the exciting atmosphere in the shop and meeting new faces, too.
Our aim is to build lasting relationships with our customers, to the extent where we can send them sneaky-peeks of images from our travels and make personalised suggestions for them, perfectly matched to suit their tastes, body shape and budget.
See you soon
We look forward to meeting you all - everyone I bump in to locally says how excited they are about the shop opening! For those who live further afield, fear not, for you’ll be able to purchase items on-line and have them delivered straight to your door as well as keep up-to-date with the latest news and trends.
Helen & Co. at Nellie & Dove xx