PdPaola Goes International With Its First London Retail Location

By Karen Dybis | February 23, 2023

Fresh off the opening of its first London store, the Spanish jewelry brand PdPaola is looking toward a future when it will have a larger international presence, with physical stores to support its growing fan base worldwide.

PdPaola’s London location opened Feb. 9 at 18 Floral Street in Covent Garden, a major shopping hub in the city that is home to other upscale fashion brands, the company said in a statement. The store offers many of PdPaola’s most popular collections, including its signature Letters and Charms, as well as new drops featuring lab-grown diamonds.

Headquartered in Barcelona, the brand was co-founded by siblings Paola and Humbert Sasplugas as a digital company in 2014. It has grown rapidly since and added six retail stores in Spain in 2022 as well as hosted a successful pop-up shop in Selfridges, leading to its London investment.

PDPAOLA London — *PdPaola, which started nine years ago as a digital-only brand, just opened its first London store; its other retail locations are in Spain, where the company is headquartered.*

The brand also recently closed on a distribution agreement for the United States with jewelry giant Zales, making Zales its first U.S. in-store retailer. PdPaola also is available in nearly a dozen other international markets through wholesale partnerships, the brand said in a statement.

A PdPaola statement called the London store its first in the U.K. and a “key opening” going forward. The store feels like a blend of its Spanish locations and the youthful vibe of Covent Garden—the interior focuses on simple displays, floral accessories, and what PdPaola describes as “effortless sophistication” in its interior design.

In PdPaola’s London shop, jewelry cases are set in the middle of the store for easy browsing. Wall displays are inset and have a dark background, allowing the jewelry to pop. The walls are a creamy white, with swags of dried flowers hung as if they are suspended in the air, adding touches of blue, mauve and a golden wheat to the space, which mostly has a neutral color scheme of gray, black, and gold.

PDPAOLA store — The store’s interior is minimalistic so that PdPaola’s collections and newest jewelry pieces will stand out. Its interior centers on sleek cases, mirrors, and floral elements to add a touch of color, the brand said.

The brand said the streamlined space is supposed to encourage customers to come in, relax from the hustle of the city, explore the space, and interact with PdPaola’s collections without feeling overwhelmed by the interior—in other words, the black-and-gold look seeks to enhance the jewelry, which focuses on 18k gold in most of its pieces.

Considering how sweet it was for PdPaola to open its first international store in London, the brand went all out for its grand-opening celebration with one of the highlights for most TikTok influencers being the cinnamon rolls it served during the two-day event in mid-February.

“Jewelery is a means of self-expression, just like any other fashion item. We felt it was the perfect time to reach new audiences with a fresher value proposition: product design and quality, affordability, customer experience, and a strong brand DNA that could resonate well with our audience,” Humbert Sasplugas said in a statement.

Top: PdPaola recently opened its first store outside Spain. The London location is in a trendy neighborhood with other high-end retailers, and the company hopes this opening will kick off an international retail expansion. (Photos courtesy of PdPaola)

Follow me on Instagram and Twitter

Follow JCK on Instagram: @jckmagazine
Follow JCK on Twitter: @jckmagazine
Follow JCK on Facebook: @jckmagazine