Stratford retro and vintage shop expands with new venture
ROCKING the retro is working out so well for a live music venue, it’s opening another outlet.
Nelly’s in Western Road, Stratford, which launched almost two years ago, is a hit with customers not just for its entertainment and café but also its huge collection of eclectic retro items – from film-set props to pinball machines.
In fact, owners Kate and Steve Barley-Clarke have done such a great job of hunting down vintage curios, they needed somewhere else to display it, which is where Harry’s comes in.
More or less diagonally opposite the motherlode, the new shop is named after Steve’s granddad – which seems only fair, since Nelly’s is a tribute to Kate’s gran.
Harry’s, managed by Kate’s sister Alex, is crammed with pre-loved clothing from labels like Fred Perry, Fila, Levi, Diesel, Burberry, Adidas, Converse and Ralph Lauren.
These include zip-up tops, hoodies, polo shirts, jeans, T-shirts, shorts, dresses, cardigans, jumpers, coats and denim jackets.
The shop also showcases retro furniture, ranging from a beautiful Art Deco sideboard to a 1960s pinball table and pretty much everything in between.
There’s also jewellery, baseball caps, hats and scarves plus home accessories such as lamps, lights and ceramics.
Alex said: “Nelly’s has turned more into an events venue, so Kate needed somewhere else to sell the furniture and clothing.
“She’s a terrible hoarder and has run out of room over there, so we’ve brought some pieces over to Harry’s, like the pinball machine.
“We’ve got a large stock of furniture as well, so when this sells, we can replenish it easily.”
The new shop has been re-decorated throughout, featuring funky wallpaper and a 1920s Art Deco vibe.
Kate and Steve were collecting vintage and retro for a long time before opening Nelly’s in June 2022 in what was wine merchant John Freeland’s former shop.
The couple source their stock from estate sales, trade fairs, auctions and online, as well as working with dealers to track down gems ranging from 1970s chairs and tables, industrial pendulum lights, ceramics and sculptures to iconic brands of clothing.
Steve, who’s a roofer, uses his building skills to make and restore items.
With more people now looking for an eco-friendly way to shop and becoming conscious of not wanting to buy fast fashion and wear it a few times before dumping it into landfill, there’s a huge boom in the vintage and retro clothes market.
Not only is it more sustainable but it’s also usually cheaper and means never turning up to an event to find someone else wearing the same chain store outfit.
Alex added: “Quite a lot of people really like retro and vintage clothing and there aren’t many places in Stratford that offer it.
“We can normally get hold of most things but we tend to go for labels people recognise.
“I think what people love is that there’s only one of everything we sell here, and that’s it – it’s a one-off.”
The new shop will open from 10am to 4pm on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays and 11am-4pm on Saturdays and Sundays.
