Byline: By Rebekah Ashby
Award-winning young entrepreneur Lee Sylph has expanded her lingerie business by a third after moving into new premises.
The 27-year-old, who launched Whitley Bay lingerie shop Amanda Lee four year ago to specialise in bras for ladies who had mastectomies, has taken Replica watches on new two-storey premises in the town.
After an extensive, seven week refurbishment programme she has brought her lingerie and swimwear shop and fashion business, which were previously located in two stores on Park View, into one store on Park Avenue.
She hopes the 1,200sqft premises, which were previously home to The Old Organ Centre, will mean she can kit customers out in complete outfits, as well as lingerie.
Miss Sylph, who was named The Journal’s Young Business Entrepreneur of the Year in 2003, said: “I now run up and down the stairs all day instead of up and down the street.
“I wanted to provide a better product range and better service to my customers and this new site will allow me to do both.
“When we took over the new premises seven weeks ago they were completely unsuitable.
“I have had to borrow quite a lot of money to make this investment in the business, but I’m sure it will pay off.
“We have completely gutted the shop and I can’t think of a better way to start 2006 than with a new shop and all the new challenges it will bring.
“Last year was a difficult Embroidered Patches year for me and my family because we had an illness in the family so I decided to write 2005 off business wise.
“I intend to get back into the some of the award programmes and start afresh this year.”
Lee Sylph turned away from a promising career with a top fashion retailer to set up her own business.
But the gamble for the Whitley Bay-born Bally Bags Replica entrepreneur paid off in style as ( with a string of awards behind her ( she is fast becoming established as one of the brightest young business brains in the country.
She thought she saw a gap in the highly competitive lingerie industry and after thoroughly researching the market she decided to take the plunge.
In October 2001 she opened the lingerie shop, which stocks a full range of items while also specialising in lingerie for women who have had breast surgery. It remains one of the few independent stores in Britain catering for this area and she has contacts with many local hospitals where patients are put in touch with her.
She said: “The new shop also lends itself more suitably toward knicker parties and these are held on an evening for groups of up to 30 guests and the fitting rooms have been purpose built to accommodate young mums with pushchairs or wheelchairs.”
Miss Sylph was runner-up in the Shell Livewire UK Young Entrepreneur in 2002 and was also named as one of fashion trade magazine Drapers Record top three lingerie retailers.
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