'I like to make things that make people feel good' - Shrewsbury fashion designer's Little Shop of Joy

Her eye-catching boutique, the Little Shop Of Joy, opened at Shrewsbury Market Hall in November 2022.

Catering for all sizes, the collection of clothing and accessories has been sourced, designed or made by Jo.

Her aim is to spread a bit of happiness by creating and selling clothes that bring a smile to people’s faces.

“I like to make things that make people feel good and I love transforming something unloved by upcycling it into something new,” she explains. 

Jo was drawn towards fashion from an early age. 

“I used to sew with my grandma and I always thought I would do something with clothes,” she says.

At the age 16, Jo enrolled on an art and design foundation course at Shrewsbury College before studying fashion design at Nottingham Trent University.

​For many years Jo had been making and selling in and around Shrewsbury while working as a university lecturer in fashion design.

Lockdown was a “tricky time” for Jo and to help boost her mental health she turned to making scarves to gift to key workers.

This led to requests from people who wanted to buy them for themselves or family and friends. 

The Little Shop of Joy grew from there and Jo, who lectured at Nottingham Trent University and also the University of Wolverhampton, decided to take the next step of opening a shop at the market hall.

“It was the best decision I could have made,” she says.

Jo continued to work as a lecturer part-time until June 2023 when she left teaching to concentrate on her business.

"Over the years, I’ve encouraged so many people to be creative and I felt I needed to do that for myself,” she says. 

“Lecturing was amazing and it’s a privilege to teach and support up and coming designers/makers. It’s always great to see what graduates have gone on to do over the years,” adds Jo.

At the Little Shop Of Joy, shoppers will find a colourful array of inclusive clothing including dresses, cardigans and kaftans, as well as scarves,  necklaces, bags, home accessories and gifts.

Last summer, Jo collaborated with Pollyanna Williams of Snoop and Shrewsbury BID to organise the Shrewsbury Treasure Hunt which saw visitors racing to discover hidden treasures for all tastes at participating shops.

It followed a ‘mini’ treasure hunt organised by Jo and Pollyanna which involved the two retailers each hiding a prize in the other’s shop and challenging fans to find them.

Jo is proud to run one of the town’s many independent businesses and says she feels “very lucky” to be based in the market hall, which was named Britain's Favourite Market 2024. “I think the market is very special. I’m surrounded by talented neighbours and it’s a very supportive environment to work in.”

Soon, Jo will be expanding her business to provide more space for creating clothing and accessories and will be moving to a bigger unit within the market on the same gallery level next month.

“I was recently very fortunate to receive a grant through Shrewsbury Bid. 

“I’m looking forward to having a changing area and greater selection of handmade ‘by me’ clothing to fit lots of shapes and sizes, alongside other clothing and accessories I source, including a colourful selection of Italian pieces.

“It is so great to have available support for start ups/small businesses,” she explains.

For more information, see www.littleshopofjoy.com