A former model has found a niche in the fashion world by looking local for her customers.
Last summer, the Midlands grew a passion for all things British – thanks to Jubilee and Olympic fever.
Former model Maria Petitjean realised there was a niche for British-designed goods in her hometown in Stratford-upon-Avon.
So she decided to open a shop selling clothes and gifts designed in the UK.
“When they brought the Olympic torch to Stratford, thousands of people came to watch,” says Maria, 50, who moved from Birmingham to Stratford 14 years ago.
“There was hardly any traffic because it was mostly local people who came to support it. There was a great big screen right by the river for people to watch. Stratford, like many places, really went to town with the Olympics. I couldn’t believe it. That’s when I thought people really do like British things.”
Maria took over a 16th century former National Trust shop, and began to search for British stock to fill the shelves and rails in between the quaint Edwardian beams.
“It was really difficult to put it together,” she admits. “We’d keep finding British stock and then discover it had been made overseas.
“My first order was with a scarf company in Scotland and when they sent the products, they sent a different material which was made overseas. I was really upset.
“I think sometimes even the reps don’t know whether products have been made abroad or not.
“But when we contacted the likes of John Smedley, which is made in Derby, and Laburnum, which is made in Suffolk, they were delighted to be involved.
“Everything we stock is British-designed. Some of it is made overseas but all of it is designed in the UK.”
The shop is family-run. Maria’s husband Chris works on marketing and their children Maxwell, 21, and Heidi, 18, help out in between college classes.
Even Maria’s niece Jessica, 19, comes over from Sutton Coldfield to help out at weekends.
“They love it,” says Maria, “and our customers love the fact we’re family-run.”
The name Littlejohn reflects the family too.
“The most difficult decision was to choose a name for the venture,” admits Maria.
“After coming up with hundreds of ideas, I kept thinking it would be perfect if we could use our family name as we were all involved.
“While I was born and bred in the Midlands, I could hardly use our family’s French surname Petitjean for a quintessentially British business, then I realised we could use the English translation of Littlejohn.”
Maria used to be a model, and did many shoots for the Birmingham Evening Mail in the 1980s. During this time, she was Miss Birmingham, Miss Aston Villa and Miss Birmingham City.
“My mum used to like seeing me in the paper so I always made myself available for fashion shoots. When I was Miss Aston Villa, we did a calendar with all the pictures taken at the football ground, on the pitch and in the McGregor Suite.
“It was great publicity as I went onto work for Le Coq Sportif and various big American sports companies for many years.
“I did shoots overseas, particularly in America. I did a great one in Las Vegas. After modelling, I went onto work in ladies clothes shops, so I’ve always worked in fashion.”
Littlejohn stocks famous British labels like LUKE, based in Walsall, and Raging Bull, founded by England rugby player Phil Vickery, alongside lesser known brands like Scottish Brodie Cashmere and mother-and-daughter design duo Fran & Jane from Dublin.
“People love the Bladen jackets we sell as they feature in the James Bond films,” says Maria. “And our Helen Rochfort ‘Wizard of Oz’ bags are great. They’re popular with celebrities like Holly Willoughby and Alesha Dixon.
“My daughter loves them.”
Littlejohn opened just before Christmas and has already gone down a storm in the Shakespearean town.
Maria says: “I’ve kept the window classy by putting in a Welsh cushion, a Zatchel bag featuring a union flag and nice material bunting. The shop is really old and has lovely beams, it would ruin it to make it look tacky and fill the window with red, white and blue.
“I know my market, which is 25-plus ladies who are prepared to spend up to £200 for a British-designed dress and £99 for a beautiful cashmere jumper.
“It’s top end of the market without being too expensive. The shop is popular with local people and we hope it will become even more popular in the tourist season. Our gifts include everything from Scottish Soaps and Victoria & Albert chinaware to Tatty Divine and Rosie Fox jewellery.
“It’s a good place for tourists to know they are definitely taking back British-designed gifts.
“When you look at today’s market there is an amazing resurgence in the British fashion industry. London Fashion Week is now recognised as the world’s best fashion show and the UK’s top young designers are in huge demand.
“Many of the major high street chains have launched British collections, established clothing manufacturers are once again expanding and new fashion companies are starting up all over the UK.
“We intend to grow with this trend and build new business relationships with more and more successful designers right across the country who are all ‘Backing Britain’.”
