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Handmade and Found
Anybody who watched BBC2’s Mary Queen of Shops may remember an episode featuring Ruth Llewellyn and Anthony Wilson’s boutique Comfort and Joy. Ruth’s collection (Comfort) was handmade by her in the back of their shop in Islington, while Anthony’s collection (Joy) was sourced from upcoming designers. With Mary’s help the pair transformed their struggling boutique into a fantastic success, now called Handmade and Found to reflect Ruth’s unique designs and Anthony’s found pieces from his travels around the world. I spoke to Ruth to find out more.
What sort of pieces can we expect to see in your handmade collection?
My style is very individual and quirky, aimed at women who don’t want to see somebody else walking down the street in the same outfit. I mainly design daywear using interesting fabrics and cuts, which are designed to flatter the figure. I love using colours, patterns and prints and my collections also feature a lot of denim.
How did you come to be featured on Mary Queen of Shops?
A leaflet was posted to the shop from a production company looking to make a fashion equivalent to Gordon Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares. They wanted to hear from people who were looking to improve certain areas of their business so I gave them a call. Our boutique was chosen and filming began in October last year.
What difference has Mary made to the boutique and to you as a designer?
Before Mary came in I was struggling with the boutique. I was rather isolated in the back of the shop and she helped me get out there and seek new inspiration. With regards to the shop she made a huge difference to the atmosphere, which led to new people coming in.
What advice did she give you?
She saw that Anthony and me were two people with potential, but obviously working with an ex-husband can be very difficult and it had eventually become more like two separate businesses. Mary helped us to communicate better and pull together to put a signature to both collections, which are now mixed up throughout the shop.
Visitors to the shop can now see you working out the back, was that Mary’s idea?
Yes, as she believed it helped reinforce the fact that all my clothes are handmade. When I first started designing it was quite a common thing to do, but its much rarer now. I really enjoy the opportunity to work on the clothes through the whole process and then see somebody walk out the door after buying them.
What advice would you give to people who are struggling with their shops?
The main piece of advice I could give is that if you don’t enjoy what you’re doing nobody else will. Identify what is different about you and then promote it in a fun and playful way. Having Mary come to the shop was great as it got lots of new people in, who will hopefully come back again.
For more information about Handmade and Found please visit their website www.handmadeandfound.com
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