A hopeful Birmingham market stall holder has asked Brummies for support after struggling to make enough sales to cover the rent at her pitch. Alice Bryzak, 43 from Redditch, makes colourful clothing ‘with soul’ for children and adults from a garden shed, displaying it for sale at Birmingham’s Red Brick Market down at Floodgate Street in Digbeth under the name Alternativ Bones.
However, this week Alice has asked Brummies to consider popping down and supporting after admitting that she’s only been able to cover the market stall rent one month in the last six. The former teacher, who started making clothes in 2020, told followers on social media that while she appreciates clothes at Primark are cheaper, her special items can be handed down to smaller siblings or kept in memory boxes.
Alice says she dreams of being able to make a full time income from selling her bold ‘twirly’ dresses, leggings, cardigans, jumpers, hoodies and more. As well as selling at the Red Brick Market, Alice sometimes takes a stall at the Birmingham Artisan Markets, which pop up in Bournville, Kings Heath and the Jewellery Quarter.
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Addressing customers, Alice wrote: “I’m not one for doing this. I’d rather sit in a corner and hope that things get better. But the reality is this.
“Over the past six months, I’ve covered my rent once. The fact is, if my items don’t sell then there is no point me being here. It is very expensive advertising.
“My items are all made by me. I choose and buy the designs (so no Tom, Dick or Harry has my prints), I send the designs to be printed, I receive the fabric, I make it into items. I put them on hangers and up for sale in the market.
“I know Primark is cheaper. I know that you could buy three times as much from there. But that stuff can be bought by anyone.”
Alice continued: “You found me. You realised my items have soul. They aren’t mass produced. I think about what I make with each print and whether it’s to sell as retail or made to order, I put the same amount of care into every item.
“My clothes last longer. They’ll end up in memory boxes or passed on to the next sibling or cousin or best friend’s new baby.”
Alice has three children, aged ten, six and three and she started making clothes for her middle son because he was ‘so skinny’ that the clothes handed down from her first baby didn’t fit. She learnt to sew at Inkberrow Design Centre, now in Bromsgrove. As well as children’s clothing, she also makes colourful clothing for adults in the same vivid patterns and prints.
A teacher of 17 years, Alice says she hopes to make ‘a wage’ from selling her hand made items after leaving education after losing her dad during the pandemic. “I could sew every day which I love and I could pick my kids up from school as well as look after them if they were ill without the continuous stress.”
Alice’s skirts are priced from £11 while dresses are priced from £17. Rompers are from £17 too while womens clothes are priced from £25. The Red Brick Market stall sells children’s clothing while the adult items are available on Alice’s website.
We described Digbeth’s Red Brick Market as ‘underrated’ and ‘like Etsy’ in previous articles. As well as Alternativ Bones, it stocks items from other makers, creators and collectors including gifts, homeware, vintage clothes, antiques, jewellery and more. You can find it at 119 Floodgate Street, B5 5SU.
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