Newcastle University graduate Louisa Rogers has already had international sales with the top quality vintage venture
A Newcastle University graduate has designs on creating a global vintage clothing community after launching her own online marketplace.
Louisa Rogers has established herself as a vintage seller and fashion blogger since graduating last year.
Now she is taking her passion for catwalk crazes of the past and present to the next level with the website Trendlistr.
Louisa has set up Trendlistr, with backing from the university's Founderships programme, which is geared towards supporting students with high growth potential start-ups.
The site sells 'vintage clothes for modern closets' through a curated online platform for vintage clothing that requires sellers to apply or to be invited to become a part of the community, ensuring quality products for buyers and upholding the brand image of more discerning vintage traders.
She said that existing platforms have pigeonholed themselves into the luxury sector or neglected quality control in favour of the mass market.
"It's an online platfomr for vintage clothing, and it's curated," said Louisa.
"Trendlistr gets away from that jumble sale feel of some sites where you have to rummage through lots and lots of listings.
"On sites like eBay people are just looking for a bargain, so I wasn't getting the prices I wanted as a seller and a buyer I was having to go through so many listings to get a hidden gem."
Trendlistr charges a comission fee to sellers, which is paid once items sell.
Louisa siad: "At the moment it's early days and initially it's about getting a community of sellers on board and making sure they are new items on the site every day.
"I can cast the net wiide for buyers and sellers, and I've already had international sales which is great.
"The good thing about vintage and retro fashion is that there are so many styles out there, going back over so many eras, so there is always something people want. And the catwalks now always reference the past and are informed by something that has come before."
Louisa's interest lies in the trading aspects of the business, but once the website becomes better established she'll look to take a step back and focus fully on curating the site.
Based at the Entrpreneurial Spark incubator on Newcastle Quayside, she is taking part in Natwest's six-month enablement project and she also hopes she will be able to extend her time there, having received brilliant assistance and advice since setting it up.
She added: "I love buying and selling and trading but that's not where I want to focus my energy.
"Within a few years I hope to oversee a global communtiy of sellers and buyers, and it would be nice to have a little office with a small team of staff."