Marcus Richards
Our goals are to provide the best and most affordable Men’s and Women’s vintage clothing to a wide public and foster the advantages of recycling.
Tell us about yourself?
I am a second-generation retailer and wholesaler of vintage clothing. After a five-year hiatus from London in the 1980s I returned and continued the family business.
If you could go back in time a year or two, what piece of advice would you give yourself?
Never give up and don’t underestimate or overestimate the challenges involved in running any kind of successful business in today’s environment. Plan ahead and stay flexible to meet changing circumstances and achieve medium to long term goals.
What problem does your business solve?
We answer the call for sustainable recycled fashion and are a one stop shop for all eras of Men’s and Women’s vintage clothing and accessories.
Our business meets the growing demand for sustainable fashion products and our business model and supply chain means we contribute far less carbon footprint than conventional fashion businesses.
What is the inspiration behind your business?
Our business was inspired and created during the early 1970s in London and was driven by the new post war opportunities available to small, independent retailers brought about by a growing appreciation and awareness of the aesthetic and cost benefits of recycled fashion to a young and increasingly educated public.
We still continue to make available the best quality and styles of vintage fashion clothing to a growing public eager to mitigate the effects of climate change through minimizing their carbon footprint.
What is your magic sauce?
We offer Individual choice throughout the retail and online presentation with all of our ranges individually selected for unique style and high quality of materials and construction.
We are unafraid to experiment and create new product offerings that bring availability and unique choice to shoppers and always at the lowest possible price points.
What is the plan for the next 5 years? What do you want to achieve?
We think that the demand for recycling will continue to grow into the future given the increasing necessity to minimize valuable natural resources and minimize carbon emissions.
With this expansion of demand in view we plan the provision of increasing product ranges along with ecologically friendly delivery methods.
What is the biggest challenge you’ve faced so far?
Covid 19 and the subsequent retail store closures during the height of the pandemic have been difficult to navigate and strategize for and there was no way of knowing at the time the extent and duration.
We now place greater emphasis on online sales and plan to develop these further in the coming months and years.
How do people get involved/buy into your vision?
Having a long-term business has enabled us to reach successive generations of young people who appreciate the advantages of using recycled fashion clothes.
We see new people coming into the market each year and these are the people we primarily wish to reach to grow awareness of our brand and product ranges
