Northampton Local May/June 17

34
Q U A R T E R P A G E A D V E R T S C O S T J U S T £ 3 0
Spotlight
In this edition the spotlight falls on Charlie Jones,
14 year old founder of Pure Clothing Apparel
What first got you interested in fashion and trends? Well, from a young age – maybe about 9 or 10 – I
started getting interested in the brands and styles of clothing I wore. Before that, my mum would shop for
me! I went through the initial stages of starting to become conscious of what I wore and what I looked like.
Clothing and fashion just gripped me. I tried my best to keep up with the latest trends and wear the most
‘current’ brands! My love of sports also meant that I wore more sporty brands as well as the everyday casual
stuff. Things progressed as I got older. Now I’m even more into the big expensive brands! I guess it’s a
teenage thing!
What first inspired you to take the plunge to becoming an Entrepreneur and starting your own business and
brand? I originally came up with the idea when I was 11. I adopted the word ‘pure’ myself and changed the
meaning to mean ‘cool/good’. Something positive. After that became my trademark, I wanted to do
something with the word. I loved the word itself along with what it really meant and stood for. The main
reason behind me doing it was simply just because I always wanted to wear clothes designed by myself – my
own brand. I’d often sketch football kits and clothing items. I loved designing. I was fascinated by the big,
international, multi-million dollar brands. I wanted to replicate them in my own way! So the main reason was
just for me, I wanted to wear my own brand. The other contributors were factors like my keen interest in
business. Businesses attracted me: you can decide how they work, you can do something you enjoy, and the
reward you get out of them depends on how you work. Plus, I saw it a great way to make a bit of money
while doing something I’ve always wanted to do at the same time!
What do you enjoy most about what you do? The most enjoyable part of it all is definitely the satisfaction of
seeing others wearing it. From my brother, to my friends, to all of my other customers. It’s great to know
that there are people out there that really like your product. I love getting feedback from customers. It’s
always great when you’re told good, positive things about what you’re doing and your brand in general. As
well as the constructive criticism: I encourage any feedback because it lets me know exactly how the
consumers feel about the product. What’s good about it, what they don’t like, what could be changed etc.
Pride takes over me when I see others wearing and enjoying my clothing.
What ambitions do you have for the future? Well, one day I’d love to branch this out across the whole of the
UK. I’d love for it to become more popular and be recognised nationwide. I really want to release loads more
varieties of clothing. Hopefully, I can sustain the business and get a bit of recognition ad publicity to expand it
outside of Northampton. In the future, I’d also like to be able to deliver and sell abroad. My main goal is to
just keep it going and slowly gain popularity. One day, I’d love to stock my clothes at a few retailers or even
have my own shop! Carrying this business on into the future would be great!
To advertise in the next edition - advertise@northampton-local.co.uk - 07738 024 823