A fashion professional who returned to Newcastle during lockdown has launched a pop-up shop dedicated to pre-owned and dead stock designer clothing.
Sophie Cabourn, whose father, Nigel Cabourn, is a cult vintage clothing collector and designer, has opened RE:BOURN in the Bottleworks gallery space on Ouseburn's Riverside Walk. The store - which is open until April 11 stocks some of the large collection that Ms Carbourn has amassed during her time working in the fashion industry in London.
The 35-year-old, who has a studio in Gosforth where customers can sift through her collection, moved back to Newcastle along with industry friends when pandemic restrictions hit. And now she is hoping RE:BOURN will ultimately become a bricks and mortar shop, but not before the business has found its feet through a handful of pop-up outings in the city.
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Speaking to BusinessLive, Ms Cabourn said the idea is to encourage people to buy better quality clothing at affordable prices, as opposed to the "fast fashion" offered by many high street and online retailers that is easily discarded.
She said: "I used to buy stuff from the likes of Asos and Pretty Little Thing, but didn't feel like I looked good and my clothes were always bobbly. I started to realise that it's better to buy good quality stuff and buy once. The store is about encouraging others to do that. I had this vast collection of stuff - including really big brands - and I thought I had to do something with it."
Ms Cabourn's stock has been accumulated through frequent overseas trips she takes with her father to visit his stores in countries such as Japan and the US. The store includes surplus pieces from big name brands such as Prada and Gucci, as well as second hand, vintage and one-off garments.
She says the stock has been priced to make it affordable with designer pieces intended to be accessible to a broader range of shoppers, not just the wealthy. And by re-cycling fashion-conscious consumers are not only reducing waste but creating more interesting styles and lasting connections to their clothing.
She added: "The fashion industry as it stands, is the second biggest polluter to the planet, making it crucial to make conscious and responsible choices, therefor by embracing a slower more thoughtful approach we can help to reduce the environmental impact of the industry, by simply giving new life to well-made garments: re-cycle re-use re-wear."
With the help of friends on the shop floor, RE:BOURN is open to customers from 10am to 8pm each day. It is hoped the pop-up will prove the viability of the concept before it can become a more permanent retail fixture.
Ms Cabourn added: "Having a physical shop is my goal. I really think it's important to speak face-to-face with customers. A lot of these garments have a bit of story attached to them. Some are one-offs, and those stories need to be told so the customer understands what they're buying."
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