FOUNDER #46. 38 Years British Fashion Empire From Rags to Richmond Classics - Keith McNicol

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Keith McNicol opens up about growing up in care from the age of three, building one of the South Coast’s most iconic independent fashion stores and surviving nearly four decades in an industry that can change overnight.

Born in Glasgow in 1958, Keith spent his childhood moving between care homes in London, Torquay, Poole and Swanage. Raised by nuns and later told by his headmaster he’d never make anything of himself, Keith found his escape in music and fashion before making his way to Bournemouth and starting a life of his own.In 1988, he opened Richmond Classics on Richmond Hill and began travelling across Europe hunting down the latest brands, bringing clothes back from Paris and turning the shop into a destination people travelled from London to visit. An FHM feature sent the business to another level, while buying trips around the world saw Keith discover brands including Von Dutch, Ed Hardy, True Religion and Juicy Couture. But it wasn't always glamorous. His shop was ram-raided, broken into repeatedly and, after 28 years on Richmond Hill, Keith was forced out of the building he had made his home.

Now heading into his 39th year with Richmond Classics, Keith has survived the internet, Covid and the decline of the traditional high street by sticking to what made the shop special in the first place: personality, knowledge and genuine one-to-one service. From growing up in care to travelling the world through fashion, his story is one of resilience, survival and doing what you love.

This is the eventful life of Keith McNicol.

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