Honey Corn Exchange: Meet the woman behind the new vintage shop that's just opened in Leeds city centre

Founded by Leeds-born Amy Garth, Honey is the latest addition to the Corn Exchange. It is located on the top balcony with a vibrant neon green door. 

Amy, 29, said she has always had a love for fashion but it was her time studying fashion design at Leeds Arts University that led her to develop a passion for vintage clothing. 

She said: “When I left university, I was hand-making clothes and selling them online, building up the Honey brand. 

“I eventually got a job at a vintage shop and I loved it.

"I just slowly developed the dream of owning my own shop, selling both the vintage I had grown to love, and the handmade things I had been building up.” 

It took Amy three weeks from securing the space in the Corn Exchange to pull the shop together. It features racks for clothing, a handmade table to fit accessories and jewellery, and even a small fitting area. 

Items on the rack are handpicked by Amy and retail at a "reasonable price". Amy said she hopes this means that her customers “will always find lots of things they love”. 

Clothes from the 70s, 90s and Y2K era can be found at Honey, as well as “youthful, funky and colourful” handmade jewellery and accessories. 

And Amy said getting a small corner of the Corn Exchange, where she can sell items she loves, is a dream come true.

She added: “I’ve spent most of my life being unsure of what my future might hold, but once I really found my love for vintage, and gained the knowledge over my years of working in the industry, I just knew I could create something Leeds hasn’t seen yet, and something that would make me happy and content."

The former online retailer said selling vintage clothes online had significant challenges that Amy hopes the physical space will overcome. 

She added: “Vintage online is an incredibly saturated market, so it’s not easy to be noticed.

“The beauty of vintage shopping is looking round little quirky shops for gems you might have never imagined finding. It’s so crucial to feel a vintage item and try it on. I wanted to open a shop and create a vibe and a community.

"My grandpa recently passed away, he’s been an entrepreneur all his life, building his business from the ground up in order to provide for his family, and I’m grateful he passed that drive onto me, or I wouldn’t have even considered going down this route."

And in the two weeks Honey has been open, Amy has created something special. 

“It hasn’t quite sunk in yet, but I’m incredibly grateful and happy that I’ve managed to get to this point. And I couldn’t have asked for a better response, everyone has been so nice and complimentary.

“I soon hope to stock other people's handmade things in my shop, and I’m really excited to see that part grow. Knowing that this is it now is what keeps me going, this is what I’ll be happy doing forever. Time to settle in and help it grow. Who knows, maybe I’ll open in another city in the far future!” 

Find out more about Honey at the Corn Exchange via its social media.