Lowell Vintage (@lowellnorwich)

As we’re sure you already know, we love Norwich – just take a look at our blog! Our ‘Fine City’ is full of ancient history, boutique bars and restaurants, and a healthy dose of curio-filled shops and emporiums! While we are fond of trying to give you a helpful overview to give you a little head start in your exploration, we think something with a little more focus might help bring a little more love to some of the folks who love our city just as much as we do!

In our age of modern living, we’ve grown all too used to big brands and even bigger waste. Wouldn’t it be great if we could keep green and stay fashionable? Enter Lowell vintage. We touched on Lowell vintage in our vintage shopping guide a few months back, but after having a small chat with co-owner Cat, we fell in love with this indie gem just that much more and wanted to share what we learnt about this vinyl and vintage cornucopia with all of you. So here’s our spotlight on the best Norwich has to offer!

“I think Lowell feels quite individual because it’s a direct product of mine and Jack’s personalities”

I don’t think it would come as a surprise to know that starting a business isn’t easy – especially one with such an established scene as Norwich. With a continuing stream of young trendsetters waltzing through the fine city from both universities, the vintage and vinyl scene is a dense one at that – then along came Lowell. 

Lowell Vintage is the puzzle piece that Pottergate had been waiting for – their shopfront almost suggests everything was built around them, and it’s really no coincidence. “We let our own tastes and interests influence everything we source from music to clothing” Cat explained, and it shows. If you’re lucky enough to find yourself inside their quaint (yet cool – this sensation needs a word!) store, you’ll immediately be taken by Jack and Cat’s unwavering stylistic vision. 

The groovy mid-century furniture that dresses the vinyl area, the writing on the walls from previous events and happy customers and their personal record collection soundtracking the whole experience, “so whilst we aim to provide a broad selection of stock, within that is a precisely curated, quality array of characterful pieces that represent us as creative individuals”

“Our key focus when sourcing vintage is quality and authenticity”

When stepping into Lowell, it’s difficult not to hear the adage ‘quality over quantity’ echoing around their store. It’s always incredible to find a spot that does do much, with so little. Cat’s affinity for vintage wear has been cultivated for a long time, having made her name on the online market long before Lowell stepped onto the scene. We asked her what makes Lowell’s vintage side so special.

“Our key focus when sourcing vintage is quality and authenticity. It’s very easy in this day and age to buy bulk bales of 90s and 00s clothing and resell it” Cat explains, “but we take real pride in being able to provide older vintage to the masses and bring it into a modern wardrobe”

Cat, Co Founder, Lowells Vintage

“It’s so lovely to see customers come into the shop, pick out things they might not necessarily choose online and fit them into their outfit”

In our modern world, we are affronted by so much wasteful nonsense, be it from big high street giants, or the endless stream of online shopping and social media – Lowell is a breath of fresh air.  They practice what they preach, and with their cool throwback attitude, it’s clear to see why their pad is quickly becoming the most noticed stores and scene epicentres in Norwich.

With all of this feel-good attitude dripping from the humble store, we asked Cat about the types of folk who would dig a spot like this (other than pretty much everyone worth listening to), she told us, 

“Lowell was founded with the intention of creating a community beyond that of a shop; we like to think of it as “counter-cultural”, for creative, self-expressive individuals who paddle against the flow”, and that is clear. Lowell has been the host of some of the most creative groups in Norwich – holding listening parties for fundraisers, showing off local acts to showcase their music, and even publishing parties for No Glum, a music and art zine based in Norwich.

“The kind of people who hang around Lowell define us, and they’re all forward-thinking people who have a lot of love for community and for the independents of Norwich, along with small businesses and their owners”

We’d like to thank Cat for taking the time to talk with us, and Lowell for continuing to be the freshest old-school-time trip in Norfolk. We hope to see many more years of this place, and are excited to see what comes next from the duo! 

 “I think we have a grounded, comforting vibe, like a 1970s living room, and I think this is what draws people in more than anything else; a gentle, warming feeling of inclusivity … Lowell’s founding ideology was community first, so you can expect to see much more from us in the near future – watch this space.”