FORGET London’s fashionable King’s Road, these Chelsea stars prefer a much more private and exclusive shopping experience.
Blues Champions League heroes Mason Mount, Reece James, Billy Gilmour and Timo Werner are all clients of personal shopper, Jack Zambakides.
The 24-year-old entrepreneur launched his business LS Personal Shopper last year, and has already attracted the country’s top footballers, who spend up to £27,000 in one visit to his Surrey showroom.
From designer threads by Balenciaga and Off White to hard-to-get customised Nike trainers, Zambakides has become the middle man for sports stars looking to avoid busy Harvey Nichols and Selfridges.
Remarkably, the Chelsea fan – who is living his dream – is close to bringing in £5million this year since launching LS Personal Shopper just 18-months ago.
“I’ve always been a bit of a wheeler-dealer and clothes and trainers seemed like something I could make a bit of money from,” Zambakides told SunSport.
“I first set up an Instagram page and then set up a website, and I remember being sat in a cafe with a friend of mine and a PayPal sale popped up and someone was sending me £270.
“It was my first sale, and from that moment I became hooked. I grew up in Surrey, where a lot of footballers live, and I got to know a lot of them.
“Luckily, in the last year, it has really exploded. Mason Mount, when he was at Derby, was probably the first player I sold to. He has helped me massively in journey.
“It snowballed from there thanks to word-of-mouth.”
Mason Mount, when he was at Derby, was probably the first player I sold to. He has helped me massively in journey.”
Today, with footballers being instantly recognised wherever they go, many want privacy. That means shopping trips to Bond Street, Selfridges or the King’s Road have lost their appeal.
But LS Personal Shopper provides the same service, if not arguably better, and operates from a secret Surrey location away from prying eyes.
“A lot of the players come to see us because it’s a private shopping experience,” Zambakides revealed.
“It’s not so easy for them to go into Selfridges and buy what they want. They just want to go in and out, but somewhere public like that they may get stopped for photos or asked to sign autographs.
“While I’m sure they would be generous to fans, it doesn’t give them the privacy and exclusivity they want.
“With us, we know their measurements, know what fits them well, what brands they like and style them accordingly.”
Zambakides has built up an army of contacts for designer clothes and trainers, who he can rely on to fulfil his clients’ needs.
He also works with brands and retailers in reselling their fashions on, as the thirst for Instagram shopping and buying online grows.
A lot of the players come to see us because it’s a private shopping experience.”
The most a footballer has ever spent with me in one go was around £27,000,”
However, where LS Personal Shopper differs is that it bridges that gap thanks to an office space that allows clients to see the clothing and footwear in person.
Adding that personal touch has allowed Zambakides to make a tidy profit.
“The most a footballer has ever spent with me in one go was around £27,000,” Zambakides said.
“It was Christmas, and the presents were for all the family. We wrapped everything up and dropped it round for them.
“It’s not unusual for a footballer to spend £10,000 with us, when you consider a hoodie or a pair of trainers could be a £1,000 – it can add up pretty quick.”
Brands including Off White, Palm Angels, Balenciaga and Nike Air Jordan – which have enjoyed a renaissance since the release of Netflix’s The Last Dance documentary – are proving to be most popular with Premier League stars.
“There’s a rare shoe, the Jordan 1 Retro High Travis Scott that we sell that the players really love,” Zambakides said.
“There’s a customiser in the US who gets the original shoe, which is already worth about £1,500, and he puts real snakeskin on top.
“That brings the value up to about £3,000, and we’ve sold a few of them recently.
“Players have contacted me when someone has walked into the dressing room and asked me if they got them from us. They are very sought-after.”
Amusingly, off-the-pitch, footballers are also keen to know who’s been buying what.
“They are always interested in finding out what other footballers have been buying,” Zambakides laughed.
“Where they are friends, we can sort of play them off against each other. If we know they’re going on holiday together, we might say, ‘Mate, you wouldn’t believe what he’s bought. He’s going to look 10 out of 10 in that outfit.’
“We did the same at Christmas time, saying things like, ‘He’s bought you the best gift, you’re going to have to get him something really nice'”
For Zambakides, as a lifelong Blues fan, selling clothes to his favourite players is a dream come true.
He also sees similar character traits with football stars as he does in himself through his journey.
He said: “I’m a Chelsea fan, I’ve had season tickets since I was five or six, so at first it was quite surreal.
“But you soon realise that they’re just normal, young guys, and I think we share similar traits.
“I’m driven on this business journey of mine and have worked hard. They’ve also had to be dedicated to reach the top and have put in the extra graft as well.”
Should Chelsea’s stars win the Champions League on Saturday, expect some of them to splash their win bonuses on designer wear from LS Personal Shopper.
To see LS Personal Shopper extensive collection, visit their website here.
Alternatively, you can follow them on Instagram.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
