Forty Five

I’m really happy to rep Plymouth store Forty Five – founders Mary and Dave are bringing the independent style strong to the city, which is sadly lacking these kind of unique shops. Mary can tell you more…

“Forty Five is me - Mary and my husband Dave, plus a handful of lovely part time ladies that work in our Bristol store.

Dave had been designing his own t-shirt brand for a few years, selling into independent stores and chains like Cult, and as his business took off we decided to open our own shop to showcase brands like ourselves and other independent brands too. We decided there was a gap in the market in Plymouth and that it desperately needed an alternative to the chain stores that dominate the town centre.”

Forty Five is inspired by…”Anything and everything - people on the street that make their own stuff and work individual looks, vintage clothing, architecture, graff.”

“As far as the stock goes we are gradually increasing the amount of organic and ethically produced clothing as it becomes more available. When we first opened Forty Five in February 2007 there really wasn't any well designed ethical or environmentally friendly clothing out there. In the last 18 months this has changed dramatically and nearly all the t-shirts we stock are sustainabally and ethically sourced. We also know all the designers that we stock in our store, and the majority of them visit the manufacturers that they use to ensure they are working in an ethical way. In our coffee shops we use rain forest alliance certified coffee and organic + fair trade certified tea, our other food and drink is local and mostly organic, our icecream comes from Langage farm just outside devon, our soft drinks come from Luscombe farm in Devon, our soup is from Rod & Bens farm just outside Exeter and we use local bakeries for our paninis and other breads.” Yummy!

Forty Five has great advice for all budding entrepreneurs…

“Know who your customer is and what they want. Location is really important. Keep your costs as minimal as possible - you don't have to spend a ton of money to open a store.”

But in the meanwhile…”We're expanding the Plymouth store into the unit next door and opening and in-store coffee shop, like our Bristol store. We also have plans for a few more Forty Five stores over the next few years....so watch this space!”

Forty Five also sponsor the best Plymouth club night, Battlestations, for serious graffing, dancing, hiphopping, MCing, baking and more. Get thee down there second Thursday of the month!