On letting go, Shifting Shape, and Why Boicey is totally unfazed.

Some news and some learnings.

Change is a funny thing.

We’re taught to fear change - to maybe view it as failure, a sign something’s not gone right. But more often than not, it’s just a sign that something’s shifting.

So, consider this my friendly PSA - two announcements, actually.

Firstly, the big one: we’re taking our Walton Street space in a new direction. Before you panic - not the brand, just the space. And yes, that distinction matters. A lot.

Secondly, the space will become home to a new fine jewellery concept store, with RF sitting alongside a curated mix of brilliant brands - and I’m really excited to be part of this next chapter.

On Closing my Store (and Not a Chapter of Myself)

‘Changing’ a physical space - or taking it in a new direction - feels heavier than logic allows. It’s never just bricks and mortar; it’s months of thinking, late-night conversations, and endless toing and froing. It’s all the marvellous (and not so marvellous) memories you can’t quite quantify, first clients, loyal regulars, chaotic Saturdays. It’s the sense that those walls have quietly held years of small moments that mattered.

The shop became a place where people could step into the world of Roxanne First: a space built from heart and hustle.

Boicey (my bulldog and unofficial head of HR) won’t miss the commute, although he may still step in from time to time. I will miss the day-to-day moments most, seeing and meeting so many incredible clients who’ve stopped by, stayed a while, shared stories, and made those pink walls feel like a living thing.

I definitely won’t miss weekends (on top of my normal 9-5) on the shop floor - but I will miss the camaraderie. William and I installing the window vinyls (we’re bonafide professionals now). The team energy - Victoria’s superb sass. SUPERB. That silent telepathic coordination only retail people get. And yes, I’ll miss that unmatched adrenaline of processing that huge sale.

The Shift

From the outside, it might look like something’s gone wrong, that changing (or closing) a store signals an ending. A few months ago, I might have thought the same. But this doesn’t feel like an ending. It feels like a forward leap, kind of like turning a page rather than closing the book.

While one door closes, another opens (see what I did there) and what’s opening is something I’m genuinely excited about (even if it’s not entirely mine).

It’s taken me a while to understand that growth doesn’t always look like adding more. Sometimes it’s about changing direction with intention, not because something failed, but because it evolved.

When you build something from scratch, it fuses with your identity. The wins, the losses, the day-to-day, it’s all personal. So when things shift, it feels personal too. It’s my name above the door after all.

But I’ve been learning to be more pragmatic. To make decisions not just from the heart (though that’s still very much in the room), but from what makes sense for the future.

I used to think being a ‘founder’ meant holding everything together at all costs. Now I see it differently, it’s about knowing what to let go of so you can build again, this time smarter, clearer, and a little freer. It took me about 9 years to figure that out - and now here it is - summarised in a sentence, not sure if that’s genius or depressing.

The me who started Roxanne First isn’t the me who runs it today - and that’s exactly as it should be. The brand has evolved, I’ve evolved, and the world around us has too.

Consistency matters, of course, but so does change. And knowing when to shift is its own kind of clarity.

Looking Back (and Forward)

As I type this from the same desk where I planned that store opening in September 2023, I feel all of it - pride, nostalgia, excitement for what’s ahead.

RF began as a side hustle in 2017, with shoots starring my best mates as models (looks more like a GAP ad looking back at it now) - they’re total babes to be fair. In 2018, my website launched (one of many, many iterations), followed by pop-ups at Harvey Nichols and our own display at Harrods - a sweet full-circle moment since that’s where I started my career.

Then came Liberty, Selfridges, the schlepping years, and eventually the call from NET-A-PORTER. There were cool collaborations - Charlotte Simone, Louise Redknapp - and countless moments that still make me proud. RF’s pieces have been worn by everyone from royalty to rappers, and made it onto the pages (both paper and online) of Vogue, Grazia, and How to Spend It (and everything in-between). It’s been relentless, unpredictable, and completely worth it (and yes I had to use the image library on my phone to figure out that timeline - as IF I could remember).

And that’s the thing: it’s not ending. It’s transforming.

A New Chapter (minus the Pink Walls)

On May 1st, RF’s doors will quietly close, not with 200 people spilling onto Walton Street like our opening night, but with a sense of peace. Gratitude. A weird calm I now have - because I know it’s right.

It’s been such a privilege to share a street where British icons like Jo Malone and Anya Hindmarch began - a Knightsbridge address with Chanel on the corner and Scalini anchoring the other end.

Running an independent store is glorious and gruelling - false security alarms blaring at 3 a.m., the smoke cloak (a piece of kit that fills the store with smoke if panic button pressed) malfunctions - sorry again William (I literally smoked him out), the staffing scrambles, the client who went from zero to full drama in sixty seconds flat (always such a joy). I wasn’t bankrolled. It was me, passion, grit, and a deep love for what this brand stands for. I couldn’t have done it otherwise. No way.

Ten years (ish) into RF, I see things differently. My priorities are evolving. I see and have a new path for Roxanne First - one I’m genuinely excited about.

Because not everything is meant to last how it began. The real magic is knowing what to keep and what to let go. The people, the purpose, the feeling - those stay. The rest? That’s just evolution.

Annnndddddd my second announcement - save the best to last as they say…

Introducing A New Concept

Now, the fun part. A new fine‑jewellery concept store will be opening in our place mid May. Think: the coolest mix of independent and established brands, curated for people who love jewellery with personality.

Roxanne First will have it’s home there - alongside a few brilliant brands. My team and I will still be around, helping, styling, chatting, occasionally over‑caffeinating. Same spirit, different setup. This next chapter lets us focus on what we do best while being part of something bigger, braver, and even more brilliant.

It feels like an evolution - one that mirrors exactly how I see the brand (and myself) now. This next step gives us a new way to do what we love - with the same heart, but more freedom to grow. It’s different, yes, but it feels right.

And whilst this would be the perfect moment for a ‘door’ or ‘page-turning’ metaphor (who doesn’t love one), the reality is - something is ending, and something new and shiny is beginning.

The RF brand will continue to evolve, and I promise you - the best is yet to come, because I finally believe in myself and believe in what I am capable of. If any of our clients are reading this - thank you for being apart of this, for showing up, and for letting me share this journey with you. I can’t wait to show you what’s next.

For the first time, in a long time, I am not scared of change - I am excited by it.

And maybe that’s the point this time - knowing what’s worth holding onto, and having the courage to let go of the rest. Everything else can shift.

Until we meet again, and remember, you’ve got this, as have I it seems (for now at least - tomorrow is another day).

R x