Industry Interview

What made you decide to start your own business?

I wanted to put all my passions, skills and qualifications into my own creative business as I found it hard to find the sort of job I wanted in the industry and tend to work better as my own boss. I like a challenge and wanted to have an adventure! I figured life is too short not to give things a try… 

What made you want to get involved with the vintage market?

Ever since I was little I was drawn towards the past, loved fancy dress and preferred the unique, eccentric nature of vintage. I also love the feeling of ‘hunting’ for vintage treasures and giving things a new lease of life. Vintage is such fun to play with and can be interpreted in new ways over and over again  

Why did you choose to use the story of Alice in Wonderland as a theme for your brand?

It was a book I loved as a child and someone once told me I reminded them of Alice, wanting adventure and being ‘curious’ in life! I thought it was the perfect backdrop to a vintage shop, as it appeals to everyone – women, men, children, adults. The idea of a visual ‘wonderland’ was a concept I liked for my boutique, as there was so much scope for visual merchandising and the notion that when you come through the door it feels totally different… 

What is it you enjoy most about your job?

I love that items I source from all over the country are loved by my customers and given a new owner, and the fact that from day to know you don’t know what vintage fashion is going to appear! It’s an ever changing job and I love that it lets me be creative and expressive in so many ways, from styling to visual merchandising and window displays.

How do you feel the vintage market stands against high street brands?

I think it used to be seen as ‘the other end’ of the high street, but now they very much compliment each other. Platforms like ASOS marketplace and many style blogs demonstrate how to wear old and new pieces together. Vintage is a great alternative for shoppers who love current trends who want to own the original versions so they don’t have the same as everybody else. A lot of vintage is also much better made with quality compared to the high street.

How important do you think visual merchandising is within an independent shop?

Hugely important! I think if you want to capture peoples imagination and get your brand and their shopping experience to stay in their mind so they come back your visual styling has to stand out and be really effective. It’s your chance as a shop to make in impression, and luckily you have no head office telling how or what to promote!

How important do you think social media is for an independent brand to succeed?

Massively important. Our social media presence is very popular and is at times busier than our actual shop premises! its crucial in finding out what exactly people are looking to buy, what’s popular, and helps identify who our target customer profiles are. It has helped define our styling, makes us instantly recognizable at events and helps build awareness that sets us aside from every other vintage brand

Where do you see ‘What Alice Found’ in 5 years?

I hope to have several smaller outlets in the South of England, an ongoing popular online shop and doing more styling to showcase our vintage.

Describe your company in three words

Eclectic, inspirational and fun