Welcome to Selen!
As Juliet so famously put it, “What’s in a name?”
selen Strong Feminine Noun (Old English)
1. a gift; 2. a giving, gift, donation, grant, tribute; 3. the habit of giving, liberality (the quality of giving or spending freely), munificence (the quality or action of being extremely generous)
I’ve founded my shop with the aim of providing a showcase for the amazing creative industry that we have here in the UK and encouraging a return to a more considered way of buying, offering you beautiful products from independent businesses based across the British isles, all of which would make fabulous gifts (for a loved one or for yourself!)
Over the course of my retail career so far, I’ve had the great privilege of working with some truly fabulous brands and introducing them to the customers of the stores I bought for, and I’m excited to have created a space where I can introduce them to even more people, if only virtually, alongside other amazing brands that I’m discovering all the time.
I know that we are all ever more aware of the role of consumerism in negatively impacting the world around us, and as a retailer I’ve had to think long and hard about how to balance my role in that with my support for a greener, more sustainable way of life. Add to that the fact that after over a decade working in the luxury retail sector, I’ve been quite reluctant to give up on the finer things in life, and it really has required some brain power! But times are changing, and I am determined to demonstrate that it is perfectly possible to balance luxury with sustainability – long gone is the stereotype that being sustainable and environmentally friendly equalled hemp shirts and a questionable sense of personal hygiene.
Where mindless consumerism is the problem, mindFUL consumerism can help to provide the answer. If when we buy, we choose to buy small, local, and from brands who are taking positive steps to improve the state of the planet and the lives of the people on it, then we can help to fuel that change.
All of the brands that I stock are based in the UK, so by buying from them you are supporting small local businesses, feeding into their own local economies, as well as avoiding any huge air miles; most of their deliveries arrive here at Selen HQ courtesy of the good old Royal Mail. In one way or another, they are all also looking at their own impact on the world around us; from the ingredients and materials they use to the initiatives they fund and support, and by choosing to buy their products over any alternatives, you help to make that all possible.
I am hugely proud to be working with all of the brands in this store – they are all driven by tremendously energetic and creative people who are building a growing network across the UK, supporting each other in their joint endeavours to create a positive impact on this planet we all share. It’s incredibly exciting to be a part of it, and I do hope you’ll join us.
Shop Small, Shop Local, Do Good. (And Treat Yourself!)
Alex xx
(And if you are a independent UK business who would like to get involved, we’d love to hear from you!)