Well it’s been a while but if you’ve been following our journey on social media and watching the news you'll understand! We have been massively busy behind the scenes in 2020.
The main thing to celebrate though is the fact we’ve reached a landmark moment in the Finnieston Clothing story. We have finally realised our Concept Store goal and you can now find us at 305 Byres Road in Glasgow’s West End.
After initially hoping to open a store around the end of March last year it quickly became apparent that 2020 wasn’t going to be a smooth ride. Our initial plans fell through, which in hindsight was probably for the better really. We have ended up with an incredible store in one of the city’s prime locations! We’ll stay humble though. A couple of months ago we were posting orders from a flat in the Southside of Glasgow or the 'Crows Nest' as we affectionately called it.
Finnieston Clothing Ltd - Concept Store
The idea for the FCL Concept Store is creating a home for Finnieston Clothing first and foremost. We’ve spent our first couple of years building a loyal local following, and ultimately it’s testament to that support that we’ve been able to realise the goal that every brand wants – their own bricks and mortar.
It’s a reward to us as much as it is to each of you who have followed, liked, bought and interacted with us throughout our journey - this is a store we built together!
Although it's all shiny and new we actually repurposed some key items on the shop floor to give them a new lease of life. This was made easier for us by Gordon and Simon from The Rust Works / Beag & Small Interiors in Clydebank, where we sourced our display table, till unit and industrial lighting. Our Till Unit given a new lease of life by local business First Class Upholstery and Restorations and the lighting by Creative Director and DIY Guru Ross Geddes.
Once we're able to open back up we intend to welcome you to a friendly neighbourhood store that genuinely wants to make a positive difference to the retail experience for shoppers and local suppliers alike.
We are a Glaswegian brand and from the beginning our mission has been to create clothing of the highest quality, a brand Glasgow can be proud of, offering our customer more value for their hard earned cash. We will continue to listen and develop our range and grow with your support and feedback.
We have been overwhelmed by the feedback we have received in relation to our Clydeside heritage inspired line. From people sharing their family's links to the shipyards, to folk sharing their own experiences of their time in the trade, to photographs from back in the day and general positive feedback. Our Govan Shipbuilders and John Brown & Company Tees have completely sold out and we have some new additions to the range arriving soon!
It's important for us to use our Concept Store as a platform for a curation of local brands and products from local craftspeople, something we are keen to grow along with Finnieston Clothing itself. We know just how much goes into bringing a brand to market, and we’re committed to using that experience to create a satisfying shopping experience for everyone.
Word has travelled too, because we've lost track of the amount of people who came through our doors asking for products specifically from those local suppliers, something we are very proud about. Whether it's Hot Sauce, Soda, Artwork, Books, Homeware or Apparel we have something for everyone in our local collection.
We have a range of bags from Whitehill Mercantile, made right here in Glasgow and some crossbody bags from Dangerfield Mills, made from Halley Stevensons Waxed Cotton – the same factory in Dundee where our Outerwear materials come from! Dukes Craftworks leather wallets have been a big hit too. Made start to finish by one craftsman in Glasgow, there was a lot of this superb leatherwork that ended up under Christmas Trees in our locale this year.
As well as accessories we have local artist Ryan Mutter's incredible shipyard inspired artwork on display, and for sale as canvas or print which look incredible hanging above our apparel. Our Clydeside Historian friend Ian Johnston, who helped so much in our brand research, has several prints available for sale too!
We have a selection of homeware too thanks to local suppliers Kelvin Apothecary and Vespiary Home for soaps candles and more. We were also finally able to make good on our promise to Alexis Basso and we are now a stockist of his ceramics which are all made in his studio in Glasgow's East End. In addition we've stocked books from local publishers and individuals and we couldn't have predicted just how popular these would be. We will have to do a significant order before we open back up again!
There’s been a huge appetite for shopping local especially due to COVID-19 and if there is one thing to take away from 2020 it’s being a little bit more careful about how and where you spend your hard earned cash. We have had great local support over the festive period and amongst the turmoil of having to close our doors again the crumbs of comfort are that so many of you lovely people share that 'shop-local' mantra and its been amazing to see this shift in mentality!
What we have missed is the opportunity to talk through our garments in the flesh, have real face-to-face feedback from customers and finally couple that Finnieston Clothing quality with a first class personal service. Rest assured, it's what you can expect when we finally return! Having those doors opened in December although hectic was invigorating for us and as a brand we're more determined than ever to get on with the next chapter.
In the meantime if you’d like to hear a little more click below for a candid video with Creative Director Ross in his January 2021 Brand Update!
Follow Us:
FB: finniestonclothing
I: @finniestonclothing
I: @fcl.store