Horsham independent woman's clothing shop celebrates fifth birthday

An independent shop owner in Horsham is celebrating her business’s fifth birthday on Saturday (March 5).

Angela Maskell, better known as Angie, opened her women's clothing store Deja! Style in March 2017.

The 53-year-old said: “I honestly can’t believe we have made it this far. It was a lot of hard work, but I’ve loved it.”

In 2016, with a degree and professional background in costume design, Angie identified a gap in the fashion retail market for a more personalised shop experience to offer customers.

Angie said: “Deja! is an attitude, not a size, because we understand that every woman is different.

“I'm a designer and a cutter. So I understand the ins and outs of clothing, how they are created and the fabrics needed to make them. A lot of retailers who open a shop, don’t have that knowledge.

“I had to make sure what I was offering was right for each individual. I wanted to make sure people were comfortable and they believed in what I could offer.”

Find Deja on Facebook

Initially running as a stall in the Horsham Market, Angie opened the current Park Place store in March 2017.

The business has faced it’s fair share of obstacles since then, including the redevelopment of the Piries Place car park which sits just in front of the shop.

Angie explained: “They started working on the car park in October 2019 and it was dreadful. The hoarding from the building work meant you couldn’t see the shop anymore, so naturally that affected business.

“I had to advertise a lot on Facebook to let customers know we were still here. We advertised in town, I went into the markets and handed out leaflets, I did everything to make sure people knew we were still here.”

Eighteen months later, the car park development was finished and Deja! had survived.

However, less than 4 months later, the Covid-19 pandemic had begun and the country entered a national lockdown, forcing Angie to close the shop doors permanently.

To help keep the shop running, Angie started posting weekly facebook videos updating her regular customers on the latest clothing items still available to purchase from the store’s website.

Angie said: “The website to me isn't personal enough. I know every one of my customers individually and I know what suits them. So through these videos I would speak to them about what items they should get and in what colour and then go out and deliver it to their doors.”

The Deja! Style owner also posted weekly entertaining Tik Tok’s featuring all of her family, these short films ranged from fun dance routines to renditions of classic films like the Wizard of Oz.

She said: “When Covid started to become major news, I thought to myself I can't give up, I won't give up on this. I’ve always been a fighter. So I started to make funny videos, because I've always been a theatrical person.

"And then I had people telling me they couldn't wait for these videos, as it was getting them through the pandemic.

"People in care homes were saying they couldn’t wait for Thursdays [the day she uploaded the Tik Toks], because the videos were the favourite part of their week and would give them a lift.”

Ever since re-opening the shop in April 2021, Deja! Has gone from strength to strength, starting with a £5,000 refurbishment through the Horsham District Council Shop Improvement Grant for Business.

Angie has customers travelling from all over the country Brixton, Kent, Cheltenham, Chester and Northumbria - to visit the shop and she says business has never been better.

She has also expanded the brand name, running a Deja Diva Boot Camps with Andrew Wilson in Horsham Park every Monday night. Angie said she aims to promote mental and physical confidence within women of all sizes through these exercise classes.

Angie said: “All I want to do is help women with their confidence and make them feel better about themselves. I'm very passionate about that sort of thing, I hear a lot of stories from women with struggles in their lives, I feel its very important for us as woman to not lose our way, especially in the menopausal years.”

Sue Lewis, who has worked part-time at Deja! since October 2019, said:“I can’t believe we are here today. It’s because Angie has such a loyal following and such a strong present on social media.

“Deja! Is a very personal service when people come in here. Angie goes beyond just selling clothes to people, she also offers alterations and personal styling, and also caters to people coming in looking to buy gifts. So we tick a lot of boxes.”

The shop's birthday celebrations take place on Saturday (March 3), with food provided by Zeytin Turkish Restaurant and coffee by Pretty Things Cafe.

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