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In the heart of Wellington’s prestigious Old Bank Arcade, one of the city’s most loved women’s shoe stores has been quietly operating since 2003.
Owned by Samara Collins, I Love Paris has carved out a unique position in the New Zealand footwear sector. Fashion retail runs deep in Samara’s family. Her mother, Ava, opened the first I Love Paris store in Dunedin in 1989, at a time when the ‘Dunedin look’ was at the forefront of New Zealand fashion.
Recognising a gap in the market, Ava began putting together her collections from leading Australasian makers including Mr. Christian (Sydney), Tony Bianco (Melbourne) and Minnie Cooper (Auckland), Over the years, her stores became an iconic part of Dunedin’s fashion landscape.
That instinct for style and selection reaches back another generation, with Samara’s grandmother as the fashion buyer for Dunedin’s DIC department store for many years.
From the age of nine Samara accompanied Ava on her buying trips and 'graduated' from her apprenticeships when she did her first solo buy from the Camper shoe range. Training was completed with a tour of factories and boutiques in Italy and Spain to feel the heartbeat of the industry.
Today, Samara continues the family business, still maintaining strong connections in the Melbourne heart of Australasian fashion and its links to factories in Italy, Spain and beyond.
“The most exciting part of the business is the bi-annual shoe fair to narrow down from thousands of design options each new season’s ILP unique selection. But the most rewarding part is sharing the passion with my regular customers — both local and those who return to Wellington to visit us.”