One of the UK’s leading bridal designers has headed home to Birmingham to launch a new curvy bridal boutique.
Shanice Alexandra has opened House of Coco on George Street in the city’s Jewellery Quarter, after agreeing a three-year lease on a 1,300 sq ft unit with Prosperity, which owns the building.
The 27-year-old, who trained at the London College of Fashion and University for the Creative Arts, has successfully managed bridal design outlets in Dubai, London and New York.
House of Coco promises to be a stunning, go-to destination for exclusive bridal, bridesmaids and occasion wear. It showcases more than 100 dresses and provides a VIP experience to customers.
Shanice said: “Having been in the fashion industry for more than a decade, I’ve grown increasingly frustrated by working with brands that only stock sizes 8-12. I was determined to offer a service to ’real women’ who continue to be let down by designers that fail to cater for their needs. House of Coco was created for the fashion conscious, trend obsessed, curvy bride. We don’t quote sizes on our website as we cater for everyone’s needs.
“I’ve travelled around the world in search of new fabrics and design partners for our brides. Every dress has its own thought process and we stock a vast array of couture designers, including our own in-house Atelier Coco Curve collection. This is exactly the right space for us, it’s the ideal location for a flagship store and I’m already receiving enquiries from across the UK and Ireland. I always had a vision of coming home to Birmingham to launch a luxury boutique and it’s fabulous to make that dream a reality.–
House of Coco is based next door to new landlord, Prosperity, who build, develop and sell buy-to-let apartments to a global investor audience. Prosperity is owned and was founded by successful Birmingham-based entrepreneur, Joe Billingham, who was impressed by his new tenant’s ambition.
Joe Billingham said: “We are very pleased to welcome House of Coco to our premises on George Street. Like Shanice, I have experience of managing businesses abroad, having run Prosperity’s offices in Hong Kong, Dubai and Kuala Lumpur alongside our headquarters in Birmingham, so I’m thrilled to be able to support her new venture. The Jewellery Quarter is a terrific location for any new business and I’m confident that Shanice’s determination will ensure that House of Coco is a huge success.–
The Prosperity Group of companies has a residential and commercial portfolio with a GDV of over £400 million, which includes 34 new build and conversion projects across the UK.
CAPTION: (L-R) Joe Billingham, CEO of Prosperity (holding ’Coco’ the dog), with Shanice Alexandra of House of Coco.
