One of the last independent shops in Birmingham city centre has closed its doors after 38 years, with the owner warning that 'there's worse to come'. Autograph, located on Ethel Street, was frequently named among the very best independent retailers in Britain. It fought hard to stay afloat when the new Bullring opened and weathered the strain of the Covid pandemic.
Autograph's Legacy
Autograph was founded by Carl Lester in 1988 and was one of just two businesses still surviving on Ethel Street. The shop, which sat between New Street and the train station for nearly four decades, has now called time on its location. However, the business plans to rebuild in a new space in the Jewellery Quarter with a fresh name and concept.
Current owner Imraan Ahmed, who has worked there for three of those years, attracted visitors from around the country who wanted to get their hands on garments from beloved designers like Maison Margiela, Rick Owens, and Vivienne Westwood.
Challenges Over the Years
Over the last 38 years, Autograph weathered the pressures of losing custom to the brand new Bullring in 2003, the woes of the 2008 Credit Crunch, the Covid pandemic closures, and more. Now, Imraan told BirminghamLive he has had to finally close the doors on Ethel Street but with hopes for a fresh start in a new space not too far away.
"We're so upset," Imraan said. "We were award-winning but we were recognised by the people we wanted to be recognised by. It's so disappointing. Our clients travelled from everywhere and we have growing markets. Anyone from the age of 15 up to 80, we had a huge customer base because of the collaborations with brands and exclusive brands too."
"There was nothing like us, from Raf Simons and Margiela, we were all friends and we had a relationship with them for 20-odd years," Imraan added, saying that it brought in customers from around the world.
The State of Ethel Street
Speaking of Ethel Street, Imraan said: "There's nothing left now. We were the last bastion. We had dreams of expanding the store, we were holding on to Ethel Street but it's just very, very horrible down there now. There's just delivery drivers. When I'd open the shop in the morning, the mess I'd have to clean up... it got to the point where I was just really unmotivated."
The delivery driver issue on Ethel Street was also highlighted by La Galleria owner Erminio Shahmani, who said that the area was 'like a warzone'. La Galleria is now the only business still open on the street.
Pioneering Independent Retail
Given its relationship with top international designers, Autograph said it was the first place in the UK where you could buy items from designers like Yohji, Rick Owens, Songzio, Paly Hollywood, and a number of Japanese brands. It was credited as being among the very first concept menswear shops in Britain and was named among the best independents in Britain by the likes of British GQ and The Times.
"We were ambassadors for a lot of brands that wanted to be in the city and the first to carry many of them," Imraan explains.
A New Beginning
Imraan is gearing up for the launch of a new concept on Ludgate Hill, on the Jewellery Quarter side of the city centre. "Our new space isn't too far away. We haven't shared much yet, things are still underway and we will share more when we can on Instagram. I'm hoping to be open by the end of May. We're now going to be a concept shop, with some art, brands no one has heard of and more. More importantly, we're going back to the community, to a residential area where we started, back with the people."
"Traffic is awful in the city centre, it's dirty and accessibility is really difficult to get to us. We lost so much money because you used to be able to park outside and fill your boot up with what you wanted. All of that went. I think there's worse to come in Birmingham," he added. "I think to get out now was a blessing."
