A NEW pop-up boutique featuring a range of clothing aimed at women working in agriculture was unveiled at a dale farm this week.
The shop, Monty West, is a new venture for well-known events manager Rebecca Tiplady.
She said: “During lockdown I spent my time on the farm. I was pregnant and considered high risk. All I did was follow my partner Stuart [Iceton] around as we were lambing.
“Normally during the summer I’m here, there and everywhere with my bars doing events and weddings.
“This year I couldn’t and I didn’t really do anything. I’ve had the idea for some time and there is no guarantee this Covid thing isn’t going to continue, so I decided to go for it.”
The shop – a converted storeroom on her brother Mark’s farm at West Roods, Boldron – has been turned into a chic boutique with the help of her sister-in-law Penny Wilson.
She added: “It’s called Monty West’s after my eight-week-old son, Monty John. The west bit is because I grew up at West Hall, in Boldron, I’m having the shop here at West Roods and I also live at West Houses, in Baldersdale.
“It’s just a pop-up shop to get going and I hope once I’ve got established and built on the range to go online with it as well. But I’d rather walk before I run.”
The shop will introduce a new range of clothes aimed at women working in the agriculture industry called Cow Girls Don’t Care.
Ms Tiplady said: “I’ve always been really passionate about women in agriculture in what is a male dominated industry and I’ve wanted to build my own clothing brand – Cow Girls Don’t Care.
“They don’t care for excuses. There are no excuses why women can’t drive a 300-horsepower tractor, or show award winning sheep or sell at the auction mart and that’s what the range is about.
“Everything I’m stocking is handpicked by me. It’s versatile clothing that’s both smart and comfortable.”
There are polo shirts, gilets, coats, snoods, hats and jumpers as part of the range. And to make sure the message is clear that there are no excuses, there are even specially designed mugs as well.
Helping her launch her new range of clothing are five “Monty Angels” – young women who are making their way in farming – Katie Fallon, from Scargill, Becky Dobson from Weardale, Annie Harker and Chloe Yarrow, who works with pigs at Westgarths.
“I’m doing a photoshoot with my angels,” Ms Tiplady added. “It’ll be socially distanced with them doing what they do, on tractors, with the animals and in Teesdale.”
The shop will also feature products from the region including a range of crocheted dinosaurs and unicorns, created by another dale resident. She will be stocking hand crafted miniature houses by Stone.
She said: “Fate dealt me an amazing hand. Penny and Mark have been really supportive and without them none of this would be happening.”
A sneak preview of the collection was held earlier this week.
Plans for an official launch on Saturday, November 7, have had to be shelved due to the Government’s announcement of a second lockdown.
