They are smart, stylish and exactly the sort of shoppers who are expected to come to the West's new shopping destination, Bristol's Cabot Circus. But these women are actually in charge of three of the leading stores. Suzanne Savill met them ahead of the launch of the new pounds500 million complex. Pictures: Carlos Laprida
Emma Simpson, Sue Stones and Emma Carlisle look as though they could be head- ing for lunch at one of the restaurants in the new Cabot Circus development.
Emma's Simpson's vivid red lipstick perfectly matches her elegant stillettos, Sue Stones is carrying a Prada handbag and Emma Carlisle has a Jimmy Choo handbag over her shoulder.
Dimmable LED Down Light K1038 - 8x1W / 8x3WBut these aren't ladies who lunch. This glamorous trio are making their way past workmen putting the final touches to Cabot Circus because they are in charge of three of the major stores launching there.
Emma Simpson is manager of the House of Fraser department store, Sue Stones is general manager of designer fashion department store Harvey Nichols and Emma Carlisle is manager of designer fashion boutique Cruise.
For all of them, the past few months have been hectic, as they have prepared to launch their stores. But in addition, they have had to cope with all sorts of other challenges.
At House of Fraser, 32-year-old Emma has also had to cope with the demands of closing down the old House of Fraser store in Broadmead, where a massive clearance sale took place before the doors finally shut for the last time.
Emma, who lives in the city and has a two-and-a-half-year-old daughter called Ella, says: "We've seen a tremendous increase in footfall and it has been a balancing act to ensure that we have a successful store closure as well as an amazing new store opening." Sue Stones recently moved from Edinburgh with her husband Kevin and their four-year-old son Joe to launch the Harvey Nichols store in Bristol.
She was previously finance and operations manager at Harvey Nichols in Edinburgh. Not only has she been busy amid the builders and shopfitters at Harvey Nichols, but she's also had to move into a new home in Bristol and find a school for Joe.
Gucci Replica"When we moved to Bristol, we'd missed the closing date for school applications, so Joe had to go on a waiting list," she says.
"When I heard he'd got a place and would be starting school near to where we now live, I felt as excited as I do about seeing the store coming together!"
When we meet, Emma Carlisle, 32, has just moved to Bristol from the Wirral, near Liverpool, the previous day.
"Just about everything I own is in boxes at the moment," she says. She looks as though she's just stepped from the pages of a fashion magazine, but insists: "I could hardly find anything to wear this morning because all my clothes were packed away!"
But despite all the stress and upheaval that the three women have been through in recent months, they are all adamant that it will be worth it in the end.
As Emma Simpson explains: "Bristol has a great lifestyle culture and a large base of fashion-conscious consumers.
"Cabot Circus will spearhead Bristol's transition into the fashion capital of the South West, drawing visitors from across the UK, and we're incredibly proud to be part of it."
Sue Stones, general manager, Harvey Ni
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