There is a fresh and vibrant city, boasting a ‘big city’ shopping offer with stylish stores and contemporary cafes and restaurants. The city is Sunderland.
Neil Symington is the owner of boutique designer store, Eleven, which is based in Sunderland’s trendy Sunniside quarter.
There is a fresh and vibrant city, boasting a ‘big city’ shopping offer with stylish stores and contemporary cafes and restaurants. The city is Sunderland.
Neil Symington is the owner of boutique designer store, Eleven, which is based in Sunderland’s trendy Sunniside quarter.
“Sunderland is a unique place to shop. I opened my store here nine years ago, at a time when the city did not have any boutique clothing shops. Eleven was at the forefront of a real movement towards independent boutique shopping in Sunderland.
“Eleven is based on the edge of Sunniside, a historic city quarter, with beautiful old buildings and cobbled streets. Since I opened the store, there has been a lot of redevelopment in the area; there is a real cafe culture developing here and it is great to be at the centre of that. It all adds to Sunderland’s shopping experience.
“I think the credibility of the Sunniside area and our four storey building really reflects what we are trying to achieve with Eleven. Sunniside has a real sense of history, and its own story. I’ve tried to make the store like that. The way it looks, the clothing we stock and the general feeling of Eleven is all designed to tell a story.
“It’s really important to me that people get a genuine experience when they come to my shop; not only in terms of the clothes they can buy, but the service they get. Eleven has a relaxed atmosphere, where people don’t feel intimidated or pressured to buy, but where they can look around and enjoy what they see. The store is not about pretence; it is about clothes. That is what I am truly passionate about.
“People who come to Eleven will see clothes that they just couldn’t find outside of London. Exclusivity is really important to us; we look for great clothes and one off pieces that offer longevity, authenticity and provenance. And most importantly we stock clothes that we like, and that we know our customers will like.”