In Cornwall an award-winning vintage fashion store is set to expand after it received funding from the British Business Bank’s Start Up Loans programme.
Bex Osman opened the retail space Love of Lemons in Nansledan, Newquay in 2021 after she successfully applied for a Start-Up Loan through the British Business Bank and was able to turn her online store into her own shop, full of hand-picked, one-off vintage pieces, alongside sustainable and unique brands of clothing and accessories.
Ms Osman has now secured a further loan of £12,000 allowing the store to move to a new unit in Nansledan. She hopes to open a sister store in the same complex called Love of Vintage later this summer.
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Both units have been built by the Duchy of Cornwall, which is developing Nansledan as a sustainable extension to Newquay.
Ms Osman said: "I’m really loving what I’m doing and I felt the time had come to give Love of Lemons a bit of a twist. This move will be something new and exciting for all the lovely customers who have supported me on my journey so far.
“The whole process teaches you so much about business that you wouldn’t necessarily know. I can buy clothes really easily, that’s not an issue, but I don’t come from a business background. This scheme makes you sit down and look at the numbers side of things in real detail.
“It also boosts your confidence because you feel as though someone else believes in what you’re doing.”
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Ms Osman said Love of Lemons had been updated with a rich and atmospheric vibe including darker colours and moody lighting, and would feature a combination of new brands and hand-picked vintage pieces. Her new venture, Love of Vintage, will be more of an emporium, with lots of pure vintage stock and a more industrial feel.
She added: “I’m excited about what’s to come. I can’t wait to share this with everyone.”
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