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How Mount Street In Mayfair Became The Place For Luxurious Brands

How Mount Street In Mayfair Became The Place For Luxurious Brands

By Mariana Sarceda

Today, Mayfair is home to some of the most luxurious shopping you can find in central London. The epicentre of all this: Mount street.  But it wasn’t always so.  Over centuries, the area has transformed itself from a simply muddy field prone to flooding from the River Tyburn to one of central London’s most expensive areas that include some of the most luxurious shopping in the city. 
 
Early Beginnings
Mayfair as we know it didn’t exist for much of the history of London until King James II granted permission to use the patch of land for a fair held during the first two weeks of May.  People that recently escaped the devastation of the Great Plague welcomed the fair and before long the May Fair became synonymous with music, dancing and merriment. 
 
While this fair is what gave the area its name, it was Mary Davies, the daughter of a wealthy banker, which began the seeds of what is modern day Mayfair.  Davies marriage to the Grosvenors and her subsequent son, Sir Richard Grosvenor, are responsible for beginning the turn around of the area as they built the upmarket Grosvenor Square.
 
This began to draw dukes, earls and many more of London’s elite to the area and finally resulted in the moving of the fair that gave the area its name.  Although much like the rest of history, the area hasn’t always had the reputation of rising prices and reputation.
 
War Time and Aftermath
With the onset of two world wars, much of the area lost a lot of its wealth and some areas even saw destruction.  Of the architecture that did survive in the wake of these deadly conflicts was put to a different use as the area became more commercialized and home to many offices for businesses in the city.
 
Return to Former Glories
Today, a new plan exists for the area known as Mayfair.  Much of the existing architecture has been converted back to residential use as planners work to restore the former glory and history of the area.  
 
Today, it isn’t unheard of to pay upwards of £3.31 million for a residential property.  According to Peter Wetherell, rent also doesn’t come too cheap.  “The highest rent I’ve come across was £36,000 a week,” he said. “As I recall, the tenant paid a £500,000 deposit in advance.”
 
Luxurious Shopping
On top of the premium real estate, you will also find one of the most unique blends of shopping boutiques and shops that feature some of the most luxurious brands available in London and, indeed, the world. Most of them are located in Mount street. But how did Mayfair become the shopping hub for the world’s elite?  Credit goes to careful planning and the help of one fashion designer with the transformation of the shopping areas in Mayfair.
 
Until about a decade ago, the area was home to mainly art and antique dealers.  However, fashion designer Marc Jacobs opened his first store in Mount street. in 2006.  Following Jacobs store opening, many other premium designers followed his lead and began moving into the area.  Today, you can easily find the likes of Oscar de la Renta, Carolina Herrera and Christian Louboutin in what is now one of the most luxurious shopping streets in all of London if not the world. 
 
It wasn’t just Marc Jacobs that created this modern transformation of the area.  Careful planning by property owners and local authorities allowed this area to blossom to what it is today.  Mayfair planners carefully guided each step of the development and have converted the area into a premium residential area alongside the shops that they seek to cater to their markets.  In addition to the residential areas provided, there are also many hotels and restaurants offering a unique experience that will impressive visitors from around the world.
 
The area is located in central London giving it one of the best locations for shop owners with easy access to public transportation for easy access to visitors and tourists.  Careful and savvy marketing plans continue to be used to remind people of the area on an ongoing basis to ensure continued foot traffic to the area and visits from people of wealth from all over the world.
 
The architecture is well maintained and even historical in its design with many buildings in the area featuring perfectly preserved architecture that are a part of history.  While the exteriors of the shops and residential areas are impressive, the interiors can be even more so offering incredible shop facades and luxurious interior that will impress every visitor regardless of their background.
 
Final Thoughts
Mayfair is a prime example of what careful planning and continued dedication to a particular area can do.  Through the dedication of landlords and the local businesses, Mayfair has survived the test of time and transformed itself into one of the most expensive and high wealth areas in London and the world offering some of the highest end brands in some of the most luxurious shops that you can find.
 
Sources:
http://wetherell.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Mount-Street-Report.pdf
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/property/investment/10836954/How-did-Mayfair-become-Londons-most-desirable-area.html

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