A pre-loved designer clothing store in Liverpool has amassed an army of Instagram followers who are obsessed with the unique business idea.
Created by Tom Fowler, Hush Luxe has been in the Baltic Triangle for four years and is run by Tom, his wife Sarah and their team. The store sells pre-loved designer clothes for women, men and children.
Speaking to the ECHO, Tom said: “I used to visit car boot sales on Edge Lane and in Bootle and would resell clothing on different auction sites. I have always been involved in clothing retail in some form and graduated from Manchester Metropolitan University 15 years ago in clothing design and technology."
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Hush Luxe doesn’t just cater to Liverpudlians. Tom said: “We work regularly with local fashion influencers and stylists, like Saffie Khan and Ellie Caffrey, but we have a worldwide client base of all ages. We have regular customers in Mexico, USA and Australia.
"It is exciting that pre-loved fashions sourced in Liverpool are currently being worn in places like New York and Sydney. Our studio on Jordan Street is open seven days a week to the public and has constantly different and extensive ranges for everyone.
“We have many high profile clients within the UK, too, and our clothes are regularly used on high profile shoots for glossy magazines like 'Hello'. Colleen Rooney has bought from us in the past for herself and her boys. She also gave us some clothes and shoes to help raise money for charity - we are grateful for her support."
Many pre-loved designer products come through Hush Luxe’s door, but one in particular captured Tom’s heart. He explained: “It must be the iconic Timmy Woods Eiffel tower bag made famous by Carrie in Sex and the City. We received this bag last year in pristine condition. Since the show's comeback, these have become extremely hard to source and often are in poor condition with paint work chipping easily.”
Tom believes the pre-loved designer clothing trend has become increasingly popular over the last few years. He explained: “People have become a lot more aware of the environmental impact of fast fashion and now see shopping pre-loved items as a way of combating this. Far more of our customers now actively shop pre-loved to support the environment. We promise to plant a tree for every purchase with our partnership with C Free.
“Furthermore, there are huge savings to be made. We always aim to offer the best value to our customers and regularly sell items up to 70 per cent off the original retail price. With everyday living costs rising, shopping pre-loved is a great way to save money whilst also staying stylish."
Many Liverpool businesses have found the last few years a struggle due to the pandemic. Things were made even worse for Hush Luxe when it was burgled during the first lockdown. Tom explained: “It was pretty devastating as we lost a large amount of stock and the premises were ruined. Due to the burglary we had to move premises to Jordan Street.
“I’d like to thank everybody that helped us during this time. It was extremely problematic as places like van rentals were closed! We were able to continue trading online, but things like evening dress sales took a big hit with customers opting for gym and lounge wear instead. All of our customer facing operations had to stop.”
Hush Luxe recently hit 20,000 followers on Instagram, a big milestone for the company. Tom said: “We would obviously love this growth to continue. We are currently working on a new website and want to expand both men's and kids operations on Instagram. We are also working to make our studio more shoppable to the public and the huge amount of stock more accessible, so please come and visit!”
Hush Luxe can be found at 4 Jordan St, Liverpool, L1 0BP. You can shop online here and follow the retailer on Instagram here.
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