Nelson man's t-shirt firm goes global (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Nelson man's t-shirt firm goes global

12:24pm Monday 8th February 2010 in

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A CLOTHING company, which started life in a young entrepreneur’s Nelson bedroom three years ago, is taking the world by storm.

Largely unimpressed by clothes in high street stores, Paul Griffiths, 22, bought 50 blank T-shirts and adorned them with simple designs he created on a computer.

Half the T-shirts were given away to friends who posted photographs of themselves wearing the bright garments on their Myspace profiles.

But when people asked Paul if they could buy the shirts he set up an online store, and the Babycakes brand was born.

Now he has a store in Manchester’s trendy Northern Quarter and a website selling merchandise all over the world, and he promotoes new bands and organises exclusive parties.

The Babycakes clothing range is made up of bright-coloured garments which are popular with ‘scene kids’.

Actors in BBC drama Waterloo Road and contestants in Channel 4’s Big Brother have appeared wearing Babycakes clothing.

Paul, who went to Primet High, Colne, said: “I was first inspired to design clothes that me and my friends would want to wear.

“I felt there was a gap in the market for clothing that is fashionable but also colourful and fun.”

Paul, who lived with his family in Rakeshouse Road, said he was able to quit his job around one month after selling the first t-shirt online, rent an office in Colne and employ a small group of friends to help run the business day-to-day.

At the beginning of 2008 he moved the business to Manchester and opened the flagship store.

Last month he embarked on a three-month tour creating ‘pop-up stores’ in every American state.

More recently Babycakes has been expanded across Europe, Australia and Japan.

Paul said: “Kids know that this isn’t a big corporate thing.

"It started in my bedroom and even though it is growing fast, it’s still growing organically.

“It isn’t run by fat cats who have no idea about fashion and fun – it’s run by me and my friends and we do this for fun.”

Babycakes also supports up and coming bands and has hosted gigs in its Edge Street store in Manchester.