BY IOAN LEWIS
AUGUST 03, 2023
Photo courtesy of: Knight Vintage
Traditionally, Cardiff and even Wales in its entirety has never been considered an extremely fashionable domain. Known better for our historical culture; music, poetry, castles, Welsh cakes and traditional dress, Wales seemed to have forgotten to consider cultivating any modern culture. Out of nowhere, Cardiff has embraced the accommodation of cultural evolution over the last five years, with a new and exciting appreciation and growing hub for vintage fashion. Amongst all of this enter Jake Knight. Starting his vintage fashion shop 'Knight Vintage' during COVID-19, Jake found a light in a difficult period and since has cultivated it to its position today, a beacon for vintage fashion and a hub of culture that shines from the heart of Cardiff.
The idea behind Knight Vintage can be traced all the way to Thailand. Whilst travelling around Asia, Jake came upon a small vintage shop. His knowledge of the vintage fashion scene altered him to the idea that there could be a profit to be made on many of the items in the store if they were brought and sold in Cardiff. Thus, with his final five-hundred pound that was meant for the remainder of his trip, Jake bought the first stock for what would become Knight Vintage. As if it was fate that Knight Vintage would come to fruition, COVID hit only a couple of weeks after Jake’s decision and he would’ve had to return home anyway, but this time empty-handed. From this decision, combined with Jake’s fashion knowledge and selling know-how, Knight Vintage was born and all of Cardiff has witnessed its success since.
When starting any business it’s important to set some targets to aim for. In Jake’s case, his goals are what made Knight Vintage such a success. His primary goal isn’t one that can be ultimately achieved, rather it is a commitment to ‘keep true to Knight Vintage’ which is a commitment to keep the shop customer based and inclusive. This is the infrastructure of the shop that provides it with its magic, you’re not only going to get a selection of well-curated vintage items and brands, you’re getting a friendly and inviting environment, that cares about every customer that walks in. Jake emphasised that when you move a shop online you lose that sense of customer-based service which he thinks is integral to the experience. It’s also important the shop offers something for everyone, in that way it transcends the idea of a simple shop and becomes a little community.
Photo courtesy of: Knight Vintage
Jake takes great enjoyment in experiencing customers from every walk of life come through the shop, and is happy that this community that he is creating demonstrates such diversity. This diversity is again referenced in his curation of the shop, his diverse selection of garments speaks to his mantra of being true to yourself, anyone can find something they like in KV and hopefully can feel comfortable in their clothes and themselves when inside his fashion community. This sense of community almost transcends even that, feeling nearly like a close-knit family. This feeling is accentuated by Jake’s newest addition to the shop: his father who now makes regular appearances in KV, as friendly and welcoming as his son, the apple does not fall far from the tree.
Jake’s second original goal was to travel, both to Japan and a return to Thailand, to buy for the shop. He’s managed to do both of these trips, returning with a healthy amount of stock, great stories and a sense of completion. The idea for the shop having been conceived in Thailand, Jake's Thai-return gave him a greater appreciation for the shop, its success and his story thus far - a true nothing-to-something story, devised in Thailand, built in Cardiff.
Comfort is the enemy of progress, and Jake has no intention of remaining comfortable despite the success of Knight Vintage. Therefore, when goals are achieved, more goals come in to take their place. Looking ahead, Jake’s new goals revolve around growth, community and events; all of which play into KV’s integral infrastructure of customer care. First and foremost Jake plans to open another shop alongside the original Knight Vintage store, with a more curated collection on offer. This is a testament to his ambition and is news that anyone who has visited Knight Vintage will rejoice at. Alongside this, considering the potential renovation of Cardiff Market, the original KV store might need to be relocated. Whilst this is a sad notion, it could also work in Jake’s favour if the shop found itself in a location with slightly more exposure.
The next goal that Jake has set, and is clearly looking forward to, is his collaborative event in Clwb Ifor Bach on the 11th of August; celebrating 50 years of hip-hop. This event will include hip-hop artists and tracks, alongside a big hip-hop-inspired drop from KV. Yet again Jake and Knight Vintage created and promoted more than just a business or a shop, but also a community. Jake also has some personal goals, one of which is to travel for six months picking along the way. He’s also not closed himself off from other fashion ventures such as designing or buying, keep an open book he says. No matter what, ambition is something that clearly defines Jake Knight and is an integral value ingrained in Knight Vintage.
Obviously with success comes change and evolution, and KV isn’t the same shop it was when it opened, and with that sentiment in mind, neither is Jake the same person. With regard to the shop, since opening in Cardiff Market, it has moved locations to be able to accommodate more stock as the business has grown. It also made that transition that Jake felt was so important to his idea of the business: the change from online to face-to-face.
The biggest changes and perhaps the most valuable lessons can be witnessed in Jake’s growth as he’s learned to run the business. There are three key areas that he believes he has seen the most personal growth in; patience, persistence and knowledge. Jake couldn’t stress the importance of developing these three skills when working in a shop such as his. Patience is important when starting up he explained, success and development don’t happen overnight, you need to be patient from the beginning and through any slow periods. Persistence also comes into play here, whilst being patient when you start the business, you have to be persistent in your commitment to it and the work required to build it up, there’s no success if you’re not persistent, just stagnation. Finally, Jake is aware that his fashion knowledge has developed since opening the shop, as it must do, although vintage fashion is based on trends in the past, vintage still has its trends (along with its constant staples) that need to be foreseen as a vintage fashion business owner.
Photo courtesy of: Knight Vintage
Jake is a proud Welshman and perhaps an even prouder ‘Cardiffian’. Being from Wales, Jake, like many of us growing up interested in fashion, struggled to find many people to look up to representing his interests or even many people being interested in similar things at all. As a result, now that he has made a name for himself in his own space he takes great pride in being the only person in Cardiff doing curated vintage fashion, and therefore being a Welsh influence that people can look up to, filling that void that he experienced when he was younger.
Therefore, it’s clear as day that Cardiff runs through Jake’s veins. He, like many, is aware of Cardiff’s slow but real cultural revitalisation. Whilst still representing our past culture, Cardiff is finally stepping into the modern cultural day. The Capital is seeing creators, artists and people with artistic interests find genuine success in Cardiff, and Jake is proud to be part of that. He believes that for Cardiff to continue to grow in this regard any contributors; artists, designers, musicians etc, need to remain true to themselves but also be inclusive. For him, it’s finding various pieces so that KV houses clothes that everyone can love.
Jake also offered some advice for anyone who wants to start their own business. First off the main thing he advised was to do it, plain and simple, if you don’t start you’ll never succeed. He also offered a reminder that it won’t be easy, no one should expect it to be, but hammered home his belief of the importance of perseverance when entering into any similar venture. Potentially the most important piece of advice Jake had for prospective business beginners is to make it an extension of yourself. Do what you love, do what’s true to you and be authentic to yourself. People love things that other people are passionate about, so whatever you do, do it about something you can radiate that passion through.
From starting Knight Vintage with £500 in Thailand to building into a gem of culture, community and fashion in Cardiff, Jake’s journey is one to behold and appreciate. Subsequently, he shows no signs of slowing down, and I think every customer and even everyone who has stepped foot into KV is excited to support any of Jake’s next ventures.
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