Cardiff Fashion Quarter is open

Cardiff Fashion Quarter opened on 20 October on Womanby Street in Cardiff, encouraging the trend of vintage and boutique shopping to really take root in the city. Alt.cardiff caught up with vintage boutique owner Emily Kline for a chat.

Boutique owner Emily Kline decorates her ad board

How did the Fashion Quarter come about?

Nisa, the convenience store next door, bought their shop and this place, and this was left empty. I was one of the first people to come in when it was a completely empty room and I was so inspired by it I just said that I’d like a space. They [Nisa] put an A4 piece of paper out front and the word just spread.

Your shop is called Split Ends, where did you get the name?

It’s named after one of my favourite Australian bands and I like the idea of hair split ends and fabric being split. This is everything from my house here; everything I’ve owned!

Did you have a store before this?

I started off in Buffalo about 5 years ago, then I went to GwdiHw and then St. Mary Street vintage fair, which showed me how much people like my things, and I started making good money.

What is it like to work alongside other stores?

Everyone in here is incredibly supportive, artistic, creative and just really lovely people.

Do you think it’s been a hit with the public?

Everyone who has come in, into my shop or the building I ask what they think, what sort of feeling it gives off. Some people have got so excited because it’s somewhere they can come for definite where they can spend all their money when they get paid, when they want to come and hang out, we normally have DJs on Saturdays as well. We want to do late night shopping, we want to do live bands, and performers too so if anyone would be interested in working with us get in contact! We want to do street markets and more.