23 year old to open 'dream' business after lecturers said 'you're not meant for this'
Vintage shoppers in south Liverpool will have a new fashion destination from next Saturday (May 23) thanks to the dream of 23-year-old entrepreneur Megan Brophy.Serendipity Vintage marks the next step for the Aigburth-born business owner, who is turning her successful stint selling at Red Brick Market into a full-time career. After starting out at the Liverpool market in 2021 while still at university, Megan is now preparing to open her first permanent store on Aigburth Road.The arrival of the new vintage hub may not come as a surprise to regulars in the area, with the bright pink corner unit already an eye-catching addition to the high street. Once open, the shop will offer an equally vibrant space for second-hand fashion, specialising in 1990s and noughties styles. Womenswear will be available from launch, with menswear expected to expand by mid-to-late June.Inside, shoppers will find fitting rooms, standing rails, table displays, jewellery, accessories and even a large lips-shaped sofa, which Megan fittingly sourced second-hand from Facebook Marketplace.Megan, who describes her style as "extravagant", said: "It will be very colourful. We want the space to represent absolutely everyone. I also want it to be a place where people can feel cosy, chill and have a chat." Megan also hopes the shop will attract visitors from nearby Lark Lane further down the road.Despite graduating with a Geography degree in 2024, Megan realised early on that the fashion world was where she wanted to be.She said: "I don't think I was built for an office and I realised Geography wasn't really for me. It involved a lot of rocks, flooding and surveying. Even during my degree, I was writing about fashion and the impact of manufacturing new clothes on the environment. My lecturers said, 'You're not meant for this.'"Megan, who currently lives in Aigburth with her parents, completed her degree regardless juggling jobs in hospitality and retail, saving money towards opening her own shop. She plans to continue working part-time alongside running the business.Megan added: "[The shop] is where I'm supposed to be. I also love running the business. It's an all-rounder - absolutely everything is me: marketing, logo design, social media and accounts."Megan added: "I went to school around the corner and I would have loved to have had a shop like this. When you're young, you can be pressured into wearing what everyone else is wearing."It wasn't until I was about 18 that I really got into vintage. My mum had always brought me up shopping in second-hand shops and at car boot sales, but at first I refused."When I left school, I realised how silly that was. I wanted to look different from everyone else and have my own style too, which is much easier when you are shopping for one-off pieces rather than buying from Liverpool ONE."Working largely alone, Megan has also handled much of the shop fit-out herself, from painting the interior to sourcing stock.On launch day, Megan will collaborate with fellow small business owners to create goody bags for the first customers, with locally made items such as cupcakes, jewellery, artwork and scrunchies.Reflecting on her journey, she said: "When I was 20, this would have been a dream but for way in the future. It still hasn't sunk in yet. I feel like I'm just going to hand the keys back and return to normal life."She added: "My friends have been very supportive. They think it's such a fun thing, they just want to play shop. Some of my family have been more concerned because it's a lot of money to put into something, but my mum is very supportive."With the store putting its final touches in place ahead of launch day, the name Serendipity Vintage itself reflects Megan's outlook on life and fashion.Explaining the inspiration behind it, she said: "Me and my mum absolutely love the idea of serendipity and the act of finding things that are meant for you and allowing opportunities in."Similarly, if you step into Serendipity Vintage, you're bound to find pieces meant for you."Serendipity Vintage will be found at 98 Aigburth Road, L17 7BP
