Repetto, the French company famous for their ballet pumps, launched a UK website this week, selling their new ready-to-wear clothing collection alongside the shoes they are so well known for.

The French company, which was a specialist dance shoe provider until they diversified into footwear when Brigitte Bardot asked them to make her a sturdier ballet bump for everyday wear in 1956, still sells dancewear as well as shoes, leather goods and accessories, perfume and ready-to-wear.

Even as ballet pumps have had a slight stumble in popularity – the high street versions led to a ubiquitousness and the posh slipper threatened to trump the pump in the flat shoe stakes – Repetto have retained a certain cachet: they are made of a pliable lambskin and are the celebrity flat shoe of choice: Kate Moss is regularly seen in her Repettos.

The ready-to-wear, launched last year and available now for the first time in the UK, is designed by Emilie Luc-Duc, who has worked with Vanessa Bruno and Dior Girl, and is, as you might expect, governed by a very French, very ballet teacher-esque aesthetic.  Both the footwear and the clothing collection stubbornly refuse to sway to trends but provide a ladylike and timeless sensibility that British customers can now easily buy into at repetto.com.