About Us
Once upon a time...
When Mouse to Minx opened its first shop in September 2005 in a triumphant blaze of fairy cakes and nostalgic sweets, it immediately set itself apart.
Mouse to Minx was launched in a small but perfectly formed concession store making its mark in Bristol, UK as a delightfully "English Eccentric” retail experience: run, managed and 'narrated' by three chums straight out of a girls' school adventure storybook.
With a traditional tea shop interior, the original fashion, accessories, jewellery and items for the home included, in the early days, a fine collection of vintage china, books and dresses: the treasured collection of the brand's creator Paula Daly (The Management), and the inspiration behind this truly original idea. Read more about The Management in our Meet the Designers section of the Magazine.
Supported by the cast of Daphne, Dulcie and Doris who each bring their own character to the running of the business the Mouse to Minx brand continues to charm its following with its online adventures.
Mouse to Minx moved to a quaint little cottage boutique in 2006 (complete with oak beams and resident cat), where it extended its offering to include products from smaller design companies and individuals, all of which had not been seen in its home city of Bristol up to that point. Mouse to Minx delighted in continuing to receive high praise from its visitors, customers, local, regional and national press, and was inevitably imitated by many local boutiques, which as they say...is flattery!
Since retailing online (from 2007) Mouse to Minx has, (thanks to Dulcie's Plan For World Domination) grown its membership to include fans from some very exotic places, justifying Daphne's humble assertion that it is now a global micro-brand.
Daphne, being a bit of a PR Journo, is still working away in the back room, on her plans for the Mouse to Minx magazine, despite having her devious doings thwarted temporarily by that nuisance of a recession. Nevertheless, now that 2011 is here the girls are hoping for recovery and exciting new directions.
Anyone can join in the fun and be kept up to date with news and musings from the Mouse to Minx news desk managed by Daphne Thistlethwaite-Smythe on Facebook; better still, you can be alerted with a short but exquisitely crafted e-mail by joining the Minx Club where the majority of our fans congregate.
Welcome to our adventure.
The Mouse to Minx name
We interrupt this article to bring you the following important message.
About our name Mouse to Minx is a registered trademark under the Trademarks Act 1994. This means that the owner of a registered trademark (The Management) has exclusive rights in the trade mark which are considered to be infringed if the trade mark is used by another party without the proprietor’s (her) consent. "Frightfully shoddy," said Dulcie, distainfully. Content of this site The design, content and images published on this site are also subject to copyright protection. Where permission for use is required to publish or reproduce all or any part of this site, the sources and copyright status should be acknowledged. The permission to reproduce copyright images does not extend to any material on this site which is identified as being the copyright of a third party (for example some of the photography). Authorisation to reproduce such material would need to be obtained from the copyright holders concerned so please contact us for the proper details. If this all sounds complicated, just e-mail Daphne to check. At Thank you for paying attention. We can now live happily ever after. Toodle pip for now.
We have been imitated (copied) by a number of retailers in the Bristol area which is unfortunate (some of whom sent scouts into our shop to 'research' and ended up stocking the same supplier). Because of this we are keeping a watchful eye on events, and will continue to do so. We have also traced people copying content and design from our website and we do not look kindly on this type of behaviour.
Meanwhile, we are more than happy to talk to anyone who wants to know more: we'd love to help! We can provide copy, photos, interviews and products for your publication or blog, and both the brand and its creator, Paula Daly. has received editorial coverage in First magazine, Look magazine, Period Living magazine, and Essentials magazine (April 2010 issue - out soon).
In fact we are frightfully accommodating at the best of times. Even Daphne can be really quite cuddly if you get her on a good day: she just can't bear copycats. (Grrr).