VICTORIA WRIGHT - Fashion Shop Owner @ Black Jacket Vintage
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Growing up in the mecca of Manchester, Victoria moved to Cornwall in 2004 to study at Falmouth University. She returned to Cornwall in 2016 and after managing shops herself decided to go it alone and open her own vintage fashion shop, Black Jacket Vintage, in Penzance town centre.
Victoria has spent over 20 years in fashion retail, from supervising roles to visual merchandising; “I loved pulling together the trends and coming up with floor layouts, styling and window displays. I loved it! My side hustle was eBay! I’ve grown up in one of the best cities for fashion and vintage and I always collected vintage pieces. I like that there’s pretty much only one of everything, its more unique, and it’s had a life and a history of its own and that really appeals to me.”
1. What do you consider your greatest achievement?
My biggest achievement, well so far, it’s starting the shop I think. I’d been selling online for a while and working running other shops for so long. It was a huge step, and one I didn’t expect to be so successful from the very start. It’s been a bit overwhelming and I’m still learning, I have so much left to learn, but I love it! It’s been the most rewarding experience and the fact that people are so complimentary is incredible. I find it super touching and it makes me so happy and fulfilled when people leave the shop with things they love. I have a huge passion for sourcing, repairing and saving great clothes, and when other people love it too it’s just amazing.
2. What motivates you to do what you do?
I want to make myself proud really. I’ve worked so hard for so long for big, and small, companies and it seemed crazy to be losing sleep, working extra hours all the time and worrying over someone else’s business. So I decided to start the shop and put all my love and care into that instead. I still lose sleep, worry and work all the hours, but it’s mine and thats a bit special. I have really bad imposter syndrome most of the time, but when I stop and shake my head clear I’m super proud of what Ive created. It means the world to me, so that keeps me motivated to turn up and do my best every day.
3. What do you owe your mother?
Oh everything! She’s the most incredible woman I know. I’m very lucky, I have two amazing parents. Mum is just a super hero to me though. She ran a business and brought up three daughters, and ran the house (including 2 huge dogs) and it all ran like clockwork. We were fed home cooked meals, clean house, read to and so loved, all while she was dealing with the stress of running a business through two recessions! We had no idea when we were kids, but now as a grown woman I have no clue how she did it all. She’s amazing, and my best friend. I can tell her anything and still do! Her motto when we were growing up was “If you don’t tell me, I can’t help you” and that meant we never feared being told off or made to feel silly, we always went to her with anything and knew that she would be there to pick us up. I can’t compliment my mum enough really. She brought us up to be honest, caring, strong and to always try our best. I love her endlessly and I tell her that all the time. I think we all call mum to say hello every day, she’s probably sick of us by now!
4. Which women inspire you and why?
Like I’ve said above, I’m very lucky as I’m surrounded by inspirational women in my family and friends. All my female friends are entrepreneurial, independent, creative, smart and strong, and all of them champion the other women in their lives. Which is pretty amazing. I’m quite shy around big groups of women, I can find it quite intimidating, so most of my female friends have kind of adopted me. I always find that when I spend time with any of them I always come away feeling lifted, inspired and full of ideas. I find it incredibly inspiring to know that all of them have faced any challenges head on, even when they’re afraid and always overcome those obstacles. It’s the women around me, everyday, just living and thriving that I find inspiring. Why look to famous figures for inspiration when there are incredible people right in front of you?
5. What are you reading?
I wish I could say some obscure academic piece but no, I’m reading Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows for probably the thousandth time! It’s a bit of a comfort blanket for me, familiar. I probably know it off by heart! In troubled times, or if I feel stressed then familiarity is a huge comfort for me.
6. What gender barriers have you had to hurdle?
This is tricky because it’s not hugely obvious at times, or could easily be misconstrued as my imagination, but I think probably getting taken seriously as someone running a business. It’s happened in many different ways, and can be subtle. For example, men will often ask me “Where’s the boss?” Or say things like “The boss man got you ironing, has he?”. These may seem silly, but they can feel frustrating. I find people think they can push me around a little, and are shocked when I tell them that I’m the boss. Its also very common, if I have a male friend, or my fiancé is in the shop then male customers will bypass me and talk to them about purchases etc, even after being directed to me they will only talk to the man in the room. That’s mostly funny to me now, and happens rarely these days as people know the shop, but still pretty annoying. I think even today when the majority of small business is female lead, people still assume that behind every business is a man in charge. It’s changing, but definitely a thing.
7. How can the world be made a better place for women?
This is such a huge question and a tough one, because to make the world a better place for women then we need to make it a better place for everyone. It needs to be a collective effort. Starting with making it a safer place for women is a good place to start, and I think everything else will follow, as women won’t feel afraid to really go for it. One of the most heartbreaking pieces I ever read was an article asking women “What would you do if there were no men for 24 hours”. The answers were so simple that it felt incredibly sad. Things like “I’d go for a run alone at night” or “I’d wear what I wanted and go for a drink alone”. So simple! Things that men do everyday without a second thought were the things that women wished they could do but felt unable. I know I could live without that horrid drop in my stomach when the taxi turns off the regular route and in the back of your mind you think “this is it”. It’s horrid. I think it needs to start with education. Teaching children, all children, respect and boundaries from an early age. This is a huge subject for me and one that I’m very passionate about. I certainly like to think of the shop as a safe space for women, one where they can be themselves and just enjoy fashion.
8. Describe your perfect day?
Oh, a leisurely breakfast with my fiancé and then absolutely NO AGENDA! When you work every day it’s sometimes nice to just do nothing, take absolute pleasure in it and see where the day takes you.
9. We've noticed there really aren't many (if any) statues of women around Cornwall - who would you like to see remembered?
A Bal Maiden. The women and girls that worked the tin mines of Cornwall and Devon. I think it’s quite common to see statues of male miners, fishermen etc, but some recognition of the women in those industries would be great.
10. Give us a tip?
It’s never too late to start something new. Jump in with both feet and see what happens. Easier said than done I know, but at least you know you've tried. We regret the things we didn’t do more than the things we did.
Black Jacket Vintage houses a collection of handpicked true vintage fashion and accessories. American vintage mixed with British heritage brands - sourcing, repairing and saving amazing pieces.
Open Mon-Sat, 9.30am – 5pm
28 Market Jew Street, Penzance TR18 2HR
blackjacketvintage.com
@black_jacket_vintage