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Sophia Jawad’s Schutz boutique in Seef Mall is full of sole this summer as her new Bobbies brand of luxurious loafers are snapped up in time for the holidays.
The 23-year-old budding entrepreneur invited her family, friends and members of the press to slip into the sultry suede Parisian shoe marque at the unveiling of her second store in the kingdom.
When Sophia, from Barbar, spotted Bobbies bold designs at a trade show in Milan it was love at first sight. She said: “I stumbled upon them with my mum Judith and the first thing I said was: ‘Oh, I like those, let’s go in and have a look’.
“I thought the women’s and men’s collections were great so why not offer them for sale here in the Middle East?
“Coming in summery colours they are really good quality and affordable.”
Bobbies is renowned for their superior suede and leather as well their daring take on loafers and moccasins. It all started in 2010 when two young Parisians, Antoine and Alexis, decided to modernise and democratise the iconic loafer.
Today Bobbies continues to reinvent the classics with their quirky twist, and gives a new lease of life to desert boots, ankle boots, ballerina flats, slippers and, of course, as always, the iconic driving shoe.
The latest range, made in European neighbours Portugal, are comfortable creations. Sophia compares Bobbies to luxury fashion brands selling from BD150 to BD180. She explained: “In my opinion, Bobbies is similar in quality but better in cost … priced at BD100 or less!
“The leather is excellent and so is the suede. It is something different and when you first look at the brand you realise that the quality is better than what you might normally find in Bahrain.
“All the soles on the inside are leather, not plastic or rubber. The stitching is also done to a very high standard.
“My mum has experience with various trade shows as she attends many for her furniture business and she was advising me on how to deal with the challenges. I’m still learning and I would like to go on my own next year.”
Nicknamed Tilly, the young fashionista is no stranger to the retail industry and she appears to have inherited her business sense from her father Faisal, chairman of Jawad Business Group, and her mum.
Her first store, Tilly’s Closet, located in Jawad Dome in Barbar, is nestled between Galleria Sophia and Tilly’s Café. It carries a collection of high-end fashion shoes, handbags and accessories, mostly from Brazil, but she felt the new Bobbies collections deserved their own shelves in Schutz.
Elham Bushehri, 24, grabbed a pair to try on at the launch event. Elham, from Saar, who works in her family’s pharmaceutical business, said: “I love Bobbies. They are so colourful and they feel comfy too.”
Zainab Al Alawi, 23, a fashion buyer from Barbar, added: “I believe this brand will do well. It is a fashion staple for the summer.”
*For more information contact 17162594 or email sophiajawad@gmail.com or follow #schutzbahrain on Instagram.
