'I started selling my clothes on Depop, now I own my own vintage shop in Manchester'

As I pushed open the door to Manchester city centre’s newest vintage shop, I was greeted by the dulcet tones of Fleetwood Mac and that familiar smell of pre-loved clothing and independently made candles.

Entrepreneur Fern Deacon greeted me wearing a vintage Biba leopard print coat and black fedora as she invited me into her store, Stare Society, which takes a step 50 years back in time to the 1970s.

It’s almost set up like someone’s living room, with an antique rug on the floor, an original fireplace, an outrageous leopard print chaise longue and tassel lampshades, with a wicker dining table for two. The only departure from the scene atmosphere of a much loved home is the rails and rails of clothes outlining the perimeter.

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The 24-year-old opened the Chinatown store, located on the corner of Portland Street and Nicholas Street, back in December 2022, taking over a former mobile phone shop and totally transforming the space.

She’s since filled it with a collection of vintage and antique finds that previously filled the Depop-seller’s flat, in the hopes of finding them all new, loving homes.

Fern, an actress originally from Hampshire, started selling on the second-hand app around five years ago when her personal vintage collection had grown a little too large. And, off the back of its success, she began to source retro and vintage finds to flip for a profit on the selling site.

But it was during the pandemic that Fern really saw her business boom. “That’s when I started to take it a bit more seriously,” she said. “I started doing photoshoots in my parents' back garden, sourcing different items online and selling them on the app.

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