About Us

Welcome to Arabella Community

COMMUNITY is a word we often use when we describe what makes Arabella.

The COMMUNITY of strong, hardworking women who run the business, led by Mother and Daughter Duo Val Lacey and Jade Kotowski. These two women dedicate their life to sourcing and supplying interesting pieces to the clients, championing items that make you feel good, last the test of time and ultimately represent the best version of ‘you’.

‘Engaging with our audience is an intrinsic part of what we do here. Whether you are in in store shopper who has the benefit of trying every look before falling in love with that key piece (pieces if you’re anything like us!), or whether you are shopping online, we want to be available to assist with any queries, so your ARABELLA experience feels like a personal shopping experience or as we like to call it RETAIL THERAPY.’

Val in particular, is a huge advocate of her favourite life goal which is ‘to grow old disgracefully’. By which she stresses the importance of having the confidence throughout your years to wear whatever makes you happy. ‘The feel good factor’, explains Val, is key. Having rocked the PUNK look of the eighties, her style influenced heavily back then by designers like Vivienne Westwood and Style Icons including Debbie Harry, Val finds favourites in collections that are quirky, androgynous but of course, flattering. Top brands on her list are RUNDHOLZ, Xenia Design and for shoes and accessories, A.S.98.

Having followed in her mum's footsteps, and joined the business a little later, Jade has a slightly different look, coveting luxury items, often with a retro influence, with emphasis on rich colours, opulent or regal design features and lots (AND LOTS) of texture. Favourite brands include Annette Gortz and Alembika, although she often spins her own take on it by mixing the look with the addition of one-off pieces that pop up in the PRE-LOVED offerings at Arabella, where pieces are traded in to a new home.

COMMUNITY too lies in the offerings of curated, exceptionally talented designers who supply the store with boundary-pushing, inspirational, yet always wearable pieces, season after season. Some avent-garde some more classic in their design, these designers always produce pieces with a touch of difference.

COMMUNITY, predominantly, and most importantly, is the collective group of incredible women who we have come to know, first as clients, and now as part of a crucial and sacred GIRL GANG.

‘Our customers are a group of inspirational women…' You only have to watch one of our LIVE SHOWS on a Friday Night to see this. When we get together, regardless of what life may have thrown at us that week to catch up over a coffee (or a GIN!) and spend the evening experimenting with the latest new arrivals, Arabella magic happens.

Aunty Jill, who began shopping with us when we opened in Nantwich, has become a true friend and huge advocate of the Arabella ethos, where we believe in women supporting women. Spoiler Alert- she's not even our Aunty! We have adopted her - or maybe she adopted us? Either way, the special relationship we have made is one that we value most preciously.

We hope that in whatever small or big way, we can embrace you too, into our GIRL GANG…We welcome you to the Arabella COMMUNITY!