BRIGHTON’S eclectic style is now being celebrated worldwide thanks to the launch of The Hippy Clothing Co.

The online fashion retailer began trading just six months ago from a self-storage warehouse in the city.

It is already on track to turn over £250,000 by the end of the year thanks to the popularity of its bohemian-inspired product range.

Founder Stuart Morris said: “Festival-goers and fashionistas the world over value the relaxed individuality of our clothing range, inspired by the 1960s.

“Our harem pants, swing dresses, and sequined waistcoats bring a splash of colour and nostalgia into wardrobes throughout the USA and Europe.

“Our success has been underpinned by our move into a StorageMart self storage unit, keeping our overheads down during the critical set up period.

“We now rent an 800 square feet office and warehouse from which we run the entire operation.

“It is really gratifying to see our small family business flourish in such a short space of time.

“The next step is to expand our global reach even further by exploring as yet untapped markets.”

It is a little known fact that the UK’s burgeoning online retail market owes much to the simultaneous growth in the self storage industry.

Now worth in excess of £440 million, it is estimated that up to 20 per cent of all 605,000 storage units in the UK are home to successful online retailers, according to industry body, the Self Storage Association.

These retailers make a significant contribution to the forecasted £77 billion worth of online sales being delivered to homes around Britain this year.

That is more than Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium, Austria, Switzerland, Sweden and Poland put together.

The company is now based at Meeting House Lane, Brighton.

It is another city success story.