Former Weaverham High School pupil opens The Rag Shop in Cheshire

The Rag Shop launched on Monday in Warrington, just as the government’s ‘roadmap’ saw Covid restrictions start to ease.

Stephanie Lyon has been busy behind the scenes transforming the former Prince Of Wales pub in Winwick Street in Warrington town centre.

Stephanie Lyon's Rag Shop

The 27-year-old started her independent business online during the first lockdown.

But the response from the sewing community exceeded all her expectations which fast-forwarded her business plan.

She said: “I’m so excited because it’s been such a long time building up to this moment. I’ve known this is what I’ve wanted to do for years so it’s just good that it’s finally happening.”

Stephanie Lyon's Rag Shop

Stephanie is originally from Northwich and attended Weaverham High School.

She then went on to study at Mid Cheshire College before completing a fashion design at the University of Central Lancashire.

She has had her mind fixed on a career in fabrics after doing a placement year with Monsoon in London.

She added: “While I was there I was managing the fabrics. That involved labelling them up, pressing and ironing and preparing fabrics to be worked with.

"That was the side of the job that I really loved so when I went back to finish my degree I knew then that I wanted to work with fabric.”

Stephanie Lyon's Rag Shop

But after uni, Stephanie ended up working in Starbucks in Golden Square to make ends meet while she explored her options.

Little did she know that the lockdown and being furloughed would present an opportunity in disguise.

Stephanie said: “Working at Starbucks gave me the chance to learn some of the managerial skills that I needed and put me in a good stead.

Stephanie Lyon's Rag Shop

"I had started work on my business plan before the lockdown so it was on the go. Then when I got furloughed I thought: ‘Well I might as well get on with it’.

“Finally having the chance to do it, it just happened and snowballed from there.”

Stephanie, whose parents still live in Northwich, was quickly able to build a following with her fledgling business because people were turning to traditional crafts while they were stuck at home.

Stephanie Lyon's Rag Shop

She added: “When lockdown started last spring people really turned to crafting and people who had never done sewing before were starting because it was a nice therapeutic thing that they could do from their home.

"A lot of people sew for stress relief or to manage their anxiety so I think that’s why it has took off so much during the pandemic.”

Seeing the potential to fulfil her dream of opening up a shop, Stephanie started looking for retail spaces last summer.

Stephanie Lyon pictured by Dave Gillespie outside The Rag Shop

The former pub always caught her eye and she jumped at the chance when it became available to let.

Stephanie said: “It’s such a beautiful building and it’s a shame it’s been empty for so long. There are aspects of it which you can tell have been a bit unloved like the doors outside which had rotted over time.

"I never really wanted to be an online only business because fabric is so tactile. You want to handle it and see how you’re going to work with it if you’re going to make clothes out of it.

Stephanie Lyon's Rag Shop

“But at the same time I’m glad I’ve been able to grow the brand so quickly because of the online community that I’ve got.

“We’ve got such a good community that I know my customers which is quite special. I’ve got people from Derby and Bristol saying they’ll be coming to see us when restrictions relax further.”

Stephanie wants The Rag Shop to be a one-stop-shop with around 500 fabric types currently available.

Stephanie Lyon's Rag Shop

She added: “That is very quickly growing and we also do buttons and labels and things like that to add a bit of personality to garments.

“The idea is you can hopefully buy everything you’d need for a sewing project.

“I think the perception sometimes is you make something but it looks homemade. But that’s not really the case anymore. There’s so many beautiful fabrics and products made by independent pattern designers that you can have clothes that you would buy in the shops but you’ve made it yourself.

"People are wanting to step away from what goes into ‘fast fashion’ due to the environmental impact of the mass production of clothing.

“So people are much more interested in ‘slow fashion’ which is making clothes that you’re going to treasure for a long time. It’s just a different mindset.”