Claire de Rouen opened above a sex shop in Soho in 2005 with a Bruce Weber book party. Claire's highly personal curation of visual culture books and magazines made her bookshop a cult destination. Twenty years later, Claire de Rouen is still a London institution, where a very special international clientele come to shop, research and discover. 

After Claire’s passing in 2012, Lucy Kumara Moore, who had worked alongside Claire, became the new director, continuing to cultivate relationships with London’s fashion scene and emphasising the bookshop’s female identity.

Since 2023, under the direction of Chantal Webber and Dominic Bell, the focus has been on stewarding Claire de Rouen’s legacy, maintaining its ethos while creating space for it to evolve – most notably through the development of its exhibition programme.

In 2024, Claire de Rouen partnered with Pieter Mulier and Alaïa to open a second bookshop location at their New Bond Street store in London. A cultural exchange as much as a shop, the selection spans artists’ books, fashion, fine art, design rarities, and ephemera, reflecting the brand’s dialogue with the arts.

In 2026, Claire de Rouen celebrates its 20th anniversary by moving into a new location at 11a Kingsland Road, E2 8AA. The new, larger space will not only focus on an ever-particular selection of publications but also open up new possibilities for community and conversation – exhibitions, artist talks, screenings, and events.