A Fraserburgh mum who lost her job when a major retailer closed its Aberdeen store has launched a vintage clothes pop-up shop in her hometown.
Laura Bain today opened the doors of Modern Vintage Fraserburgh for the first time, in a former beauty salon at 73 High Street.
The 31-year-old told us how being made redundant when retro chain Cath Kidston closed its Union Square premises proved to be a turning point in her life.
Laura said: “I’m from Fraserburgh but lived in Aberdeen for about 15 years.
“I was made redundant when Cath Kidston closed its Aberdeen shop two years ago.
“Around that time I was pregnant, so we decided to move back to Fraserburgh.
“The little one is one-and-a-half now and I decided it was time to try something new.”
‘I had the bare bones of an idea….’
Laura has always had a passion for snapping up pre-used vintage gear.
And she set the new venture in motion when she responded to an appeal from the Fraserburgh Enterprise Hub a few weeks ago.
“They asked for anyone with an idea to come forward, and said they could help to get it off the ground,” Laura explained.
“From my time working in retail, I had the bare bones of an idea… And I wanted to make a difference to Fraserburgh.”
Before she knew it, Laura had been offered the prime spot on High Street for a six-week spell.
Dream to turn passion into a profession
The Brocher says she would “love” to turn the pop-up shop into a permanent addition to the town centre.
If the grand opening is anything to go by, then she might be onto something.
Laura said she was “shocked, in a nice way” after being rushed off her feet for most of the day.
For the young mum, buying quality second-hand gear is about more than saving money.
She added: “With the way the world is going, it’s better to be more conscious about what brand you are buying.
“Maybe paying a little more money for longer lasting clothes is better, rather than contributing to more waste.
“You can get that quality by buying second-hand items that are going to last you a long time.”
The rise of independent stores
The continued rise of small firms stands in contrast to the collapse of several major High Street brands since the pandemic made a bad situation untenable for many.
Cath Kidston, where Laura used to work, announced the closure of all 60 of its UK stores last April – with 900 jobs lost.
It still trades online.
Modern Vintage Fraserburgh will be open from noon to 9pm on Thursdays, and from 10am to 6pm on Fridays and Saturdays.
As well as clothes, it sells shoes, bags and jewellery and accessories.
Laura was keen to thank the local community – and her fellow traders – for showing her so much support.