Outrage as Samantha Cameron's VIP connections secure her first permanent fashion store at the expense of a much-loved Belgravia hair salon, writes EMILY PRESCOTT

Her star power – and impeccable connections – have helped Samantha Cameron make a big splash with her fashion label Cefinn.

But now one of Britain’s biggest landowners stands accused of being dazzled by the ‘aura’ of the Foreign Secretary’s wife in a row over the lease of her first permanent shop.

Her designer brand is set to open an outlet on Belgravia’s upmarket Elizabeth Street in the coming months – but at the expense of a much-loved family-run hair salon.

The owners of Issy’s have – to their surprise – been told they won’t be able to extend the lease on the prestigious premises they have occupied for the last five years, to make way for the Cefinn store.

And neighbouring businesses are not impressed, fearing the new shop will not attract the same cross-section of high-spending customers as the unisex salon, which charges more than £100 for a woman’s cut and blow dry. ‘This is not fair,’ one local owner said.

Samantha Cameron has secured a location for her first permanent store for her fashion brand Cefinn

Unfortunately for the owners of Issy’s hair salon, the landlord will not renew their lease allowing SamCam to take over the store

‘Issy’s is a great business and it brings in a lot of footfall for this street. It’s very neighbourly.

‘I know about Cefinn. It’s not my style, but my main concern is it is a women’s fashion store, so we’ll lose the male customers from Issy’s.’

The salon’s lease with the Duke of Westminster’s Grosvenor Estate expired in the autumn and it was given a short-term extension. There were hopes this would precede a new multi-year deal.

But instead, Issy’s has been offered a property on nearby Eccleston Street, which is seen as a less prestigious location. The salon declined to comment, but a friend of the owners said: ‘They have spent tens of thousands doing the place up, and now they are going to have to start from scratch somewhere else. I have the impression Grosvenor think SamCam has an aura about her, but her clothing is not that famous, and similar products are being sold at other stores on the street already. They have pulled the rug from under Issy’s and appear to have succumbed to a bit of star power.’

Grosvenor is understood to have offered Issy’s money towards fitting out the new store, but details have yet to be finalised. It added: ‘We treat occupiers equally and fairly. Issy’s will be expanding to Eccleston Street in 2024.’ Cefinn declined to comment.