Join Us Today At The Grazia X Mary’s Living And Giving Pop Up Charity Shop!

She’s the retail maven who made her mark shaping the future of Harvey Nichols, and took her knowledge to the masses with the BBC’s Mary Queen Of Shops. But for the past five years, Mary Portas has been quietly expanding her charity empire with a chain of Mary’s Living & Giving shops for Save the Children.

To celebrate the fifth birthday of this very philanthropic venture, Grazia is hosting its very own pop-up shop for one day only in the Upper Street branch on Thursday 4 June. ‘Charity shops always had a reputation as the places where people dump smelly stuff and I thought: why should it be like that?’ said Mary on her original idea to set up a shop to raise money for vulnerable children. ‘I really believed we could change the concept of the charity shop into something that has respect and loveliness, and make money for those who have less than we have, and so I went to Save the Children with it and they jumped at the concept.’

The result is now a chain of 16 shops, with two more in the offing, which have raised millions of pounds from the donated items they sell. Mary grew up with a wardrobe of hand-medowns, which she recalls fondly. ‘My auntie Cath used to come round with a bin liner of my cousin’s old clothes, but it was just as exciting to me as buying something new.’ Her favourite vintage purchases have been a ‘wonderful’ fringed ’80s Moschino jacket and some ‘amazing little gold Westwood wellington boots’.

Now Mary loves to rifle through old homewares and has big plans to work them into future stores. ‘That excites me more. I like to go round all the really old charity shops in the north and buy great old Royal Worcester plates and teapots. There’s something so joyous in an item that’s already lived with someone else.’

In store you’ll be able to find vintage wares for your house and your wardrobe, and on the day, you’ll be styling up your purchases with the help of the Grazia fashion team – and it’s all for a good cause. ‘It was a charity that I think vulnerable children are touched by,’ says Mary. ‘I lost my mother when I was 16 and I think having that care and love and being able to make sure children are secure is the most important thing in life.’

So pop in on Thursday 4 June from 10am for fun, fashion and even Mary on the tills at the Grazia x Mary’s Living and Giving Birthday Pop-Up!

What to expect from the Grazia x Mary’s Living & Giving Birthday Pop-Up:

10-11am Live shop window illustration from artist Jenni Sparks

11-12pm Joshington Post coming to you live from the store via Periscope

12-2pm Mary Portas in store manning the tills and reading from her book Shop Girl

3-8pm Beautification Station from London College of Beauty for some party preening

4-6pm Fashion Takeover – get styled by fashion news and features editor Hannah Almassi

6.30-late Fifth birthday celebrations with Mary’s Living & Giving team Mary’s Living & Giving shop for Save the Children, 138 Upper Street, Islington, London N1 1QP