Beverley Fashion: Vintage Clothing

In a time of economic instability you may be forgiven for forgetting what a new and exciting business looks like. So just to remind us, here is Beverley’s number one vintage guru and businessman James Ash, with The New Vintage Clothing Company. Fellow Beverlonian James has recently fulfilled his dream of creating his own fashion label and online store which specialises in unique vintage clothing, reworked vintage pieces and vintage inspired items. So when I said ‘fashion label’, what I meant was labels. With a strong band of followers on social networking sites and an impressive website, The New Vintage Clothing Company is set for world domination; already supplying customers across the UK, Switzerland, Belgium, France, America and even as far away as Australia.

Mr. Ash and his partners have certainly made quite a splash, not only supplying across the globe, but also creating strong ties with many local businesses. One major philosophy behind the brand is making mutual beneficiary schemes, often discovering new and interesting ways of building the brand as well as aiding the local community. James is currently hosting a design competition at Cottingham High School which will be put into production for the company, the winning student will receive a T-Shirt with their design and their work will be pushed into production and sold to the worldwide market. The school will gain an appreciation for fashion and design not to mention an insight into becoming an independent businessman/woman.

As well as getting involved in schools, James also strives to find young adults with talent that can be used to promote both his brands and maximise the potential of the individual; such as graffiti artists and local bands. The company also has a mentor in the form of Beverley born Jonathan Elvidge, founder of the Gadget shop which is now Red5. Jonathan brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the company and believes the potential is enormous.
The New Vintage Clothing Company’s name was created with Doug Richards, original Dragon from the TV series Dragons Den. This was produced during a very successful seminar with Doug, James and business partner Ricardo Seaton.
The team at Natwest have also shown tremendous support, particularly Beverley’s Manager Wasim Alam. In a time when banks are often accused of lacking faith in new enterprises, James is a clear example that backing will be given by Natwest who are proud to be boast that the Beverley, Hull and Yorkshire team are the countries leaders in backing start up businesses!

Interest in The New Vintage Clothing Company has also been shown by major UK retailers such as White Stuff, Blue Banana and even the mighty Topshop, all eager to take a look at the truly unique items on display. The team have even been invited down to London for a meeting at a flagship store in Oxford Street Circus which certainly has created quite a stir in the office, based just off Hull’s Holderness Road at the city’s old tram station. But the company’s not limited to their premises in Hull; the team are often found whizzing up and down the country to fashion shows and music events to promote their products. The New Vintage Clothing Company have recently been turning heads at the huge Vintage at Goodwood festival and in London at the Edge Fashion Exhibition. James and the team even scooped the award for best dressed stand beating over one hundred and fifty exhibitors.

Not only is the company supplying the vintage clothing scene with their coveted threads, it’s also supplying our area with much needed jobs in a creative and innovative environment. James’ team ranges from models, photographers, graphic designers, fashion developers to seamstresses. Much of the team is from Beverley, with a some exceptions who live in Hull. With such a multifaceted company must come a versatile team, and James definitely has that, one of his models lives primarily in London on the books of a major  agency but often returns back to Yorkshire to take part in shoots set in obscure locations in the area. As well as having experienced models James also strives to discover new talent who are keen to get their face out there, and they do, as long as it appears on a one off re-worked vintage piece or with one of the many new items that are being designed every week.

As mentioned earlier, the company has three different components. The first are the original vintage items under the brand Rare Rags which are often one of a kind and are absolute classics in every sense. These come in the form of Maxi Dresses and retro circle skirts as well as a wealth of other things you’d have to see to believe. The second are vintage items that have been reworked with a modern twist these are under the brand Rabbit Works. Whether it’s a band vest top, an animal print boob tube or using an original 1960’s Levi’s denim jacket, Rabbit Works has it all. And last but not least are the vintage inspired items under the label Rabbit Jelly. These are the vintage items you wish you could find in another colour or design whilst keeping the consistency of a brand. Whilst not strictly being vintage clothes they are designed with them in mind, so you no longer have the disappointment of that one off amazing coat being sold before you could get your hands on it. It seems The New Vintage Clothing Company has all bases covered.

To find out more about The New Vintage Clothing Company visit their website. Or join the Facebook group by searching ‘The New Vintage Clothing Company’