Colours May Vary is owned by Becky and Andy, who grew up together in the same town.
It's a very personal project of Becky and Andy's, which I think is important in their company's
ethos and values. They invested a lot into this business together and it has become a
social environment as well as just a retail venture for them.
Andy worked in record shops until he was told to get a real job. He studied a degree in Art History, which prepared him for his part-time position as an art librarian here at Leeds College of Art. The connection between LCA Library and CMV is largely formed by Andy, who buys books for the library that he has enjoyed at the shop and vice/versa, he also knows about the talent in the college and can promote the shop's events within the college.
Becky did a degree in Art History, then worked at Habitat with an interest in homewares and product design. She then moved into a jewellery design company and worked up to head designer. This experience in the creative side of the industry provided Becky with knowledge of what exists in the market, what makes a product successful, as well as how to run a business.
Both Becky and Andy worked in retail backgrounds and studied the same course at different establishments, different times. They started business late, but had learned a lot by the time they got there. They wish they had started earlier but knew that they wouldn't have been prepared.
Becky and Andy have different tastes and interests within art. Becky is most excited by ceramics and stationery, whilst Andy is more interested in print and publishing. Together they filled a house with art they admired and when Becky was made redundant she used her money to open a shop in Leeds with Andy.
According to Becky, Colours May Vary was introduced out of 'necessity'. The pair were sick of travelling to London and Manchester to find the products they wanted for themselves, that just weren't available in Leeds. Their mission with CMV was to
create a space that didn't exist in Leeds at the time.
They described the shop as being 'experimental', 'social' and all about 'collaboration', in stark contrast to a lot of other art/book shops which they found 'austere', 'samey', 'expected'. Colours May Vary was invented to be different and was born in response to the lack of creative places in Leeds at the time (Habitat closed down, Borders the bookshop had disappeared).
CMV also hosts exhibitions and events. They don't just sell work, they celebrate the work of artists like Felt Mistress (whom I saw at their show last year) in their large window and this brings in more customers to their shop too. Artists have to pay to use the space, but their approach is about providing a platform for experiments, so they do try to encourage both renowned artists like Felt Mistress and first-time shows. Again, these are not just commercial but social events; hosting gatherings/celebrations at the shop brings a sense of community to CMV.
A huge part of their stock selection revolves around the concept that
Becky and Andy are their own audience. They only stock things that they like or would want to buy.
In an effort for their shop to be unique, they find products from around the world. They do support local artists and source many of their products in the area of Leeds, but they have to keep up to date with what's happening in the industry around the globe. They have to know the trends and anticipate what's happening in the industry, be prepared for what might happen next.
Buying habits change, and the political forecast over the last year has had a huge impact on commercial trade. Brexit caused import charges and exchange rates to increase, and the couple explained how this has affected their business, 'It's unavoidable' but it has affected everyone in retail and they just have to work through it.
What Sells?
- Magic Pencils (because they are very cheap, around £2, very small and novelty - a token small purchase for visitors, especially since you may feel you have to buy something in such a small, independent shop)
- Toucan Print (high price but very impressive - 4 colour print, not digital. Consumers at the moment value the handmade quality and effort of hand printed products)
- Ceramic Ghosts (tactile, object, foreign, exciting and unusual. One of a kind)
- Varoom (rebooted, better quality than it was before)
Andy discussed the need for products to be produced in a medium/technique that is appropriate for its audience, content and purpose. For example, even though screen prints are so popular, it is possible to create a bad screen print. The artist has to have integrity and pushing a design through a screen doesn't mean it will work better in this format than it would as a digital print.
The process of production is just as important as the design itself, so if you want to make a personal and creative artists' book, do not use a generic printing platform like Blurb, print and bind it yourself!
Becky and Andy are really friendly individuals and extend their social/family attitudes to speaking to customers, having conversations and encouraging artists (including students) to come in show them work. They can offer professional advice, feedback, recommendations and may want to stock your work. It's reassuring to hear that they are so open about this, because it's quite difficult to access professional opinions without fearing you are interfering, unwanted or wasting your time. Becky and Andy offer constructive feedback with the aim of helping artists to improve and be stock-ready. Even if they don't really like your work or necessarily feel it is right for their shop at that moment, their knowledge could be useful. They suggested that we bring things in to show them, but since the shop can be busy, that we should continue the conversation via email and leave products with them to look at closely.
They said that opening the shop has been a steep learning curve. At first, no one knew they were there. They are frequently asked WHY HERE - since their shop is out of the city centre and customers have to cross a six-lane road to get to it - why here and not another shop? It has a huge window, which is what they wanted, but the location is not ideal. It does, however, separate them from the mainstream high street. In recent years Leeds has started expanding, with Victoria Gate very close by, meaning that more shops/businesses are reaching their way now too.
They have quiet months/busy months, which is inevitable in retail, but they have survived by being innovative and engaging with their bold window displays.
