Lucy & Yak – which describes itself as a “socially and environmentally conscious lifestyle brand” – is set to unveil its 15th store later this month.
The shop in Sheffield, which is scheduled to open on Saturday 21 March, will feature the fashion retailer’s signature pink colour palette offset with vibrant yellow as a key part of the design and decor – and it will also be home to the company’s first in-store Re:Yak Hub studio.
The Re:Yak space will be a place where customers are invited to repair, mend, and customise their clothing, with the aim of supporting the brand’s mission to keep clothing in circulation for as long as possible and not thrown away. It will also provide a venue for community events and workshops, with the Lucy & Yak team keen to make it a “vibrant meeting place, a creative home, and a living example of circular fashion done differently”.
Essentially, the Lucy & Yak Sheffield store will serve as the brand’s flagship destination for circularity, creativity, and community. It launched its Re:Yak offering in 2023, which helps customers extend the life of garments by sending them in for repair and customisation at its Barnsley studio.
The Sheffield opening will place this commitment to circularity at the forefront of its operations, in view of customers.
Lucy & Yak already operates stores in Brighton, Bristol, Cambridge, Canterbury, Norwich, Nottingham, Manchester, Cardiff, Exeter, Chester, and Edinburgh, as well as running outlets in Castleford and Portsmouth.
Liz Green, store manager at Lucy & Yak Sheffield, commented: “We’re so excited to finally open the doors to our new Sheffield store – we appreciate everyone’s patience as we work on making it perfect.
“Sheffield is our first shop to have its own Re:Yak Hub – a space where our community can drop in for customisation, mending and repairing (to name a few). To see what’s on, keep an eye on our events page or @lucyandyaksheffield on Instagram. We can’t wait to meet you all in person.”
Lucy & Yak has come in for online criticism in recent months, with influential social media accounts of high-profile customers starting to question the brand’s quality and sustainability commitments as it approaches its tenth anniversary in 2027.
It prompted managing director, Lydia Coley, to issue an open letter on social media in February where she addressed some of the audience’s concerns and comments. She also announced U-turns on some of the recent moves customers had been most critical about, including replacing sari bags with plastic packaging in customer orders.
“Lucy & Yak has always been more than a clothing brand; it is a space rooted in acceptance, creativity and belonging,” she wrote on Instagram.
“Our loyal customers and early supporters are the foundation of this brand, and you deserve openness, clarity, and a genuine voice in where we go next. I am committed to investing the time to listen carefully and understand how we can improve.”
[image credit: Lucy & Yak]
