“It all began in Rita’s basement in 1967,” reads the homepage greeting of the new online store for Britain’s oldest independent fashion boutique.
Pollyanna – the long established fashion emporium in Barnsley, South Yorkshire by Rita Britton, set the agenda for some of Britain’s most highly respected luxury and conceptual fashion stores. From its unlikely base, it has launched a new e-commerce website that rightly reflects its avant-garde yet alternative brand aesthetic.
Hailed as an innovator, and highly respected for its out-of-London location, Pollyanna is renowned throughout the world for scouting fashion greats long before they become household names. Now customers who are based around the world and unable to visit the store in person, will be able to get a better sense of the Pollyanna shopping experience through the store’s new website.
The new website engages more intimately with the customer, through behind-the-scenes blog posts from global fashion shows, interviews with designers, art, book and music reviews, and also style advice from Pollyanna’s owner, Rita Britton.
Fred Fan, who has been spearheading the project and is Head Buyer at Pollyanna, says of the website, “We offer some of the most exclusive and sought-after brands in fashion and accessories, including Rick Owens, Haider Ackermann, Dries Van Noten, MA+, Damir Doma, Forme d’Expression, A1923 (Augusta), Issey Miyake, Lanvin, Yves Saint Laurent, and also rising contemporary brands such as Acne and Tuesday Night Band Practise. These will all now be accessible to our International customers, and showcased in a more contemporary setting, which we hope will assist in expanding the Pollyanna brand experience worldwide.”