I was bright with such a sight, having made my way to Godiva’s Boutique along Grassmarket. The sun was shining and people were flooding the streets. I was lucky enough to meet the owner of Godiva, Fleur MacIntosh. Having had a moment, I made my way around the colourful and object-jumping materials and patterns of the vintage boutique.
From the large design of painted unicorns and artistic vines on the walls to the hard wooden flooring and glanced ceilings, there wasn’t a dull spot to be found. The smell of old wooden flooring and musk Victorian atmosphere.
Godiva was brimming with creative ideas, from small, sweet-smelling ornaments to vintage old suitcases used as décor. I almost felt like I were in the Tim Burton “Alice in Wonderland film.”
Godiva‘s boutique store is unique and vintage and has a high-street, gloomy touch. Founded in 2002, Godiva exudes charisma and showcases exquisite clothing and accessories from independent designers and graduates seeking to promote and sell their work.
Fleur is able to provide these young designers and artists with the opportunity to enter the world of fashion design and bring their creations to life! I felt more at ease in the environment because of the calm, collected swing and jazzy-type music playing in the background.
In the comfy red lounge chairs with the sun glaring through, the store, which looks so small but opens up to a Mary Poppins bag, has its very own special studio. They have a bespoke service with the measure in store, in which you can choose a design and your fabric and have a garment made just for you! It is also where independent store designers go and create their masterpiece collections.
Having been so sucked into the environment of the shop, I later snapped out. I sat down with Fleur to ask a few questions about life on the road of creating a store with such taste and creativity—the goods, the bad, and altogether, just grad-tactic opportunities! Instead of me rambling on, I will let Fleur bring you into all the ins and outs of her personal world at Godiva.
So, an intriguing question most readers would love to know: as this isn’t any ordinary high-street store, how would you describe a typical day in Godiva?
“A typical day changes every day. Every day is different, and that is the fun of it. There are different customer integrations and your daily chores in the morning, but I think the joy of having a business like this is that every day is a different day. It keeps you constantly adaptable, with different seasons coming and going.
What exactly do you want to get from your customers in terms of your styles and clothing itself?
“I think the thing about the shop is that there are a few things that are different and unusual, often like on-off or limited edition. I think we are quite established now, and often the customers that come in here know the products and that they are hand-made by independent designers or small-scale productions, and that’s kind of the unique pull towards the store.
Again, with vintage people, when they shop at vintage shops, it’s because they like to be different and mix and match their wardrobe with all the new pieces, so from the idea of that came all the different designers and supporting different talent.”
That was what was so eye-grabbing about Godiva. How did you go about choosing designers? Did you go out and find people, or did they approach you?
“A bit of both. A lot of the time, people approach the store as it’s very established and has a showroom for independent designers. People come to me, and I often see something that someone is wearing and ask where it’s from. I’ll go and find it, or it’s just by being alert about things around you. Occasionally,I troll through things. But generally, it people coming to me, or I notice things on the street, or recommendations; a lot of people recommend designers as well.“
Who would you say would be your biggest market competitors?
“I don’t really have one. I think there’s not so much competition, but I think there is a certain kind of unity in independent stores because we all try. I really try to make things that nobody else has. So we either have round or in-house designers based in the studio, where she makes all her designs, and they are always exclusively made with her and in the shop as well.
I have a couple of labels here that other stores have, but we are determined not to have the same thing. Also, I asked all the designers who sell with me if they don’t sell within other shops within 5 miles of our area, which makes it kind of fair.
I think the more independent shops there are, the better because I think there is a need to understand this kind of shop. I don’t feel that I have that much to worry about in terms of competitors.
How many employees do you have at the moment?
“I have 2; there are 3 of us in total. We are a small shop. A unique business trade is determined around what time of year it is. Obviously, around the Fringe Festival, we tend to have a few more people on the shop floor, but generally, there is only about 1 person on the shop floor a day. Although a lot of work must be done, it varies depending on the day and the activity level.
What was it that actually got you to start Godiva in the first place? What was the motive behind it?
“I worked in Godiva, which used to be a second-hand vintage store just up the road, and I actually worked there during university, so I actually took the business on. But when I took it on, it was just a room with alright vintage clothes—nothing too amazing—and I bought it for a minimum amount. It was really more of a shell of a shop, and I liked the idea and completely changed it to what I have now, which is more vintage; it is about 30 to 40% of the shop, and the rest is independent designers. We also have the studio within the store as well.”
Do you need any experience in retail shop ownership?
“No. (Laughs slightly.) That’s why it’s taken me this long! I have just taken my time. I have learnt from my mistakes; I didn’t have any prior training, and I have never worked in a shop. I think you just have to trust your instinct. A lot and have to be prepared to make mistakes and work hard. But that is the fun of it, too; that’s where much inspiration came from. I like to make myself proud. It has its ups and downs, though; the same with everything.”
How did you get the word around and promote your business?
“Well, promoting for me doesn’t come from lots of advertising because it’s so expensive, and I think I have tried, and it hasn’t worked. I think the best thing that works is word of mouth. The fact that I have been here so long and am pretty established, I think, says it all. Word of mouth is more than anything, definitely.”
Was there anything you would have preferred to know about getting into this industry before?
“It’s hard to say, as I think the best lessons are learned through experience, so I think they are the ones people can tell you whatever, but really, it’s up to you to make things work in your own way and your own style, I think people have different business models and it’s up to you to decide what works for you. “
Are you planning on branching out further in terms of stores?
“I wouldn’t branch out further, no, not at the moment, especially after the recession. I don’t think it’s the most sensible idea. Also, everyone says businesses should go online now, which I think is what we have been trying to do, but there is nothing like coming into an actual store and having a unique shopping experience. Especially with all the lovely items in here, you really have to see and touch them; it’s not the standard high street situation, but I still believe having the store is the most powerful thing. Maybe one day when things have picked up again.”
Just within the last six years, there have been about two dips within recessions and you have to be really careful about decisions you have made, There have been situations I have been sitting on my hands a few years ago, making it tick over and try to get through it, I didn’t find it that difficult within the recession as I think people care what they spend their money on more so people wouldn’t really go to H&M and spend £50 and feel dissatisfied where people could come here and feel more connected with what they re buying because you are not just supporting the shop but supporting independent designers as well. “
How do you go about making money with your independent designers? Is it through commission or volunteer?
“Originally, the whole store started as it couldn’t afford stock. So I started doing everything on a sale or return so it would be like a showroom with people’s collections, and you take the commission once it sells. It depends. “As novices and designers, we often begin by experimenting and observing their reactions, given the significant risk involved in working with someone unfamiliar.
Have you had any form of events or fashion shows you have done or are planning on doing?
“Yeah, we have had a few people approach us. We do the student fashion shows a lot; we have never done our own. It has always been a dream of mine to have my own shop, but as the years have gone by, we have never gotten around to it.
We do have customer evenings at the store where we tend to do a late shopping night at the end of the month/beginning of the month with some beer and wine. You find people tend to spend a little bit more.”
Do you have anything like that coming up soon?
“Yeah, we do We are going to have one really soon at the beginning of June but I shall let you know! “
You have the whole unique, quirky look to the whole vintage and gloom. A lot of people are so high-street these days; what was it that made you do something different in terms of this style?
“Because I never liked the high street. I never liked it. I always wore vintage—well, most of the time—because I was usually brought up around second-hand stores. I didn’t have much money, so I spent a lot of time in charity shops with my mom.
I have never feared something like vintage being different; I used to go to school with a grey uniform and red clogs (Laughs.) So I think for me, from a young age, I was kind of one of these people who wasn’t worried about the condition or standard of fashion; I actually preferred it! I liked it!
I didn’t exactly melt into everyone else’s, which is what you do within the high street. People feel they are almost accepted in terms and gripped if they look a certain way or think, and nowadays, I think second-hand is more focused towards hipsters, but I don’t want to put myself in that kind of way. But yeah, just to be different, it’s kind of a calibration of people’s imaginations, and what designers come up with is really exciting to me!”
What advice might you give independent designers or people wanting to start up their own store like you?
“I would say DO IT. Have faith in yourself, believe in yourself, and be willing to make mistakes along the way. Get over it and learn for them. It’s really rewarding. Most of the time, money isn’t that great sometimes, but you don’t do it always for the money; you do it for where you want to be in your life. If I am having a bad day, sometimes the shop does cheer me up. Sometimes, not all the time! That would be weird. “
Future events and opening evenings are a great way to get work displayed and shown, especially for those who want to hit it up in the town and have a unique and quirky edge. I left the store feeling so accomplished and inspired. Godiva brings such inspiration and a key to independent designers, the gateway to your dreams, having had the opportunity to gain insight into the wacky and jumping world!
