Harley Young speaks with the founder of the Metquarter fashion trader collective
From graduating with a first-class degree in Fine Art from Manchester Metropolitan University to tie-dyeing tracksuits during lockdown to pass the time, Bethan Flanagan is creative through and through.
At the start of this year (31 January), she founded her boutique store All Over The Shop in an aim to help talented artists and creatives like herself connect, collaborate and network.
Since then, the Metquarter location has gone from strength to strength, showcasing products from over 45 incredible independent clothing and accessory brands, spanning everything from phone charms to customised denim jackets.
I caught up with Bethan to see why places like All Over The Shop are so important for the creative community.
Hi Bethan, tell us a bit about yourself.
I started running my own clothes reworking business in lockdown, just tie-dying some tracksuits and stuff. It was so nice to be creative, as I was working in an office at the time. Then I moved onto painting on jackets, custom ones - they got really popular through videos I was posting on TikTok and that kind of snowballed.
Why did you decide to set up shop in the Metquarter?
At the beginning, I was doing a lot of ‘makers markets’ to sort of get my name out there, but I found it didn’t fit; there was never anywhere to try the clothes on, people weren’t really visiting with the mindset of buying large items, and then there was the fear of things getting wet if it rained.
Kirsten from Make CIC had said that the Metquarter was really accommodating and helpful when they hosted some workshops as part of Taylor Town, so I approached them with the idea of doing pop-ups with local traders and they were really happy. They had an empty unit that I was able to use, so I organised some workshops and pop-ups between October and December last year which was a hit.
I asked them if they’d be happy with us having traders in the space permanently and they were happy to go ahead.
We started with about 23 traders and have since doubled, with more to come.
That’s impressive! How does it work with the traders? Do they each have their own section in the shop?
Basically! They fill an application form out, say whether they want a rail or a shelf, and then pay rent and a commission each month - we pay out any profits that they make monthly.
What kind of traders do you have at All Over The Shop?
We have everyone from vintage and pre-loved clothing traders to handmade jewellery traders, but we’ve made sure to pick people who are really invested and have their own style.
There’s some traders from Plymouth, Leeds, Manchester and all around who post their stock to us, so it’s not just Liverpool artists we’re supporting - there’s stuff [at All Over The Shop] you wouldn’t see anywhere else unless you travelled around the country, which is quite nice as well.
I think it’s nice to be able to bring small businesses to the high street, because obviously, no matter what high street you go to, it’s got the same clothing shops. It’s good to be able to shop somewhere different. You can buy yourself an outfit that someone else is most likely not going to have.
What benefits do traders get when setting up a stall at All Over The Shop?
We make sure that the rails are all kept tidy for them and that their stock looks nice in terms of merchandising - we also keep an eye on what people are looking for and give feedback so they know what’s selling well and what isn’t.
We also do three month reviews with them, which gives them the opportunity to tell us what they want more or less of and both parties can decide whether the space is working for them.
I also remain very conscious of what we have already, so I try not to duplicate or have things that are too similar - I don’t want anyone to step on anyone’s toes - it means each trader has the best chance of their products being seen and showcased properly, if that makes sense.
I noticed that sustainability is a big part of what you advocate for. Have you noticed a shift in customers deciding to shop more consciously recently?
I think people are becoming more conscious of fast fashion; how much stuff goes to landfill and how it's polluting the planet. But then there's people who are not conscious of it at all - they kind of come in and they're like “Oh, is this second hand?” I then start the conversation with them, saying, for example “It used to be an old blanket, but it’s been turned into a jacket,” etcetera which then they realise “Oh, God - that's something unique and different that no one else is going to have.”
It's appealing to both, really; the people who love to shop sustainably and want to make a difference, but also to the people who aren't as fussed about it but want to have a statement piece that’s unique to them.
Do you have any plans for development in the near future?
We’ve gotten popular in quite a short amount of time, but I want to be more ‘on it’. We’re looking to extend the space soon; the more space we have, the more traders we can accommodate and, with that extra income, we’ll be able to provide a better service to the traders, the customers, everyone - that’s the end goal.
We’re also hoping to have a dedicated service where traders can offer custom items in store.
For example, Ginger Magpie does blazers with vinyl designs on them, so we’d be able to put a sign on her rail with a little booklet of designs along with a price list of what you can get and how much it would cost. You’d then pay a deposit at the till, fill out a form and come back after the given timescale for your custom item which would be ready and waiting.
We’ve had a lot of interest from the traders, so this could be anything from small items like phone charms to larger scale items like jeans and jackets, things like that.
And, of course, we’ll be offering the workshops that people know and love us for. We’ve got a couple of Charm Bar workshops up, and hopefully there will be a few others arranged over the summer.
To find out more about Bethan and All Over The Shop, head to allovertheshop.co.uk.
All Over The Shop, Metquarter Liverpool, 35 Whitechapel, Liverpool L1 6DA
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