A decade after setting up the business, Irish entrepreneur Chupi Sweetman has opened a flagship jewellery story on Clarendon Street, just off Grafton Street in Dublin. The move is part of her ambitious plan for development having secured €3.75 million funding to fuel growth of the Chupi brand.
“From my spare room to a global brand, after 10 years in business I am thrilled to open our new home,” Ms Sweetman said at the opening on Tuesday.
The new store is in the 250-year-old Powerscourt building adjacent to so-called Diamond Alley, as Johnson’s Court is known. The store is in the former French Connection unit, a 4,500sq ft hybrid retail and studio space encompassing Chupi’s fine jewellery, engagement and wedding collections.
Last year, about 55,000 diamonds were used in her products, which include recycled post-industrial gold. The company employs some 50 people, with everything handmade in Ireland. In time the upstairs studio and office space will also include appointment rooms for private consultations, and an area for events and collaborations is planned to open next year.
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Po McNamee Design Studio was responsible for the interior architecture and redesign along with Monica Gumbrielle and Ms Sweetman. The fit-out and installation was carried out by Movement Metalwork and expert Barry Lyons gilded the staircase steps leading to the first floor.
The ground floor level features three street-facing windows, the most notable a gilded arch with the main window displaying a montage of everything from the latest Chupi campaign emphasising the craftsmanship of the products.
Inside details include an antique cabinet with 24 brass-handled drawers sourced from dealer Joy Thorpe in Castlecomer, Co Kilkenny, to store valuable pieces, and a wall installation displaying artefacts and the original framed hawthorn tree that inspired Ms Sweetman’s own wedding band, and is a key feature of her designs.
The store opens to the public on Wednesday at 10am, which also sees the launch of her latest collection called New Decade.
