FashionCapital meets Mary Queen of Shops!

Mary first hit our television screens back in June 2007 with her popular four part series Mary Queen of Shops as she went around a number of ailing shops, aiming to help the owners revitalise their business. Since then the no nonsense TV presenter has been a popular face amongst viewers and this next venture will see her transform the charity shop into must-stop-shops on the high street.

With two retail boutiques and a showroom of our own this was the perfect opportunity to introduce ourselves to Mary and to make her aware of the work we do for new and emerging fashion designers and if there was any way in which we could join forces. Mary is all about good quality fashion and in the past has made no secret of the fact that she despises high street shops such as Primark:

‘I don't like it at all. I feel quite sick when I see the number of carrier bags coming out of the door. How many people in this country can only afford £3 or £4 for a pair of trousers? These prices are less than they were 10 years ago. Someone, somewhere, is suffering for that. I'm saying, 'Let's buy less, let's buy quality and let's really understand what great fashion is about.'

 

With this in mind our ethos of supporting British based young designers and encouraging shoppers to spend their money on quality made garments rather than the monotony of the high street was certain to get Mary's attention! After having a chat with Mary, in the midst of everyone wanting a piece of her, we swapped business cards and she said she would love to learn more about us. With our foot now in the door let's hope that through persistence and sheer determination we can get this retail guru on board and help our talented young designers get the recognition they deserve in this difficult consumer climate.

Watch out for Mary Queen of Charity Shops coming to BBC2 soon.