Nestled near the top of Totnes High Street, Fayre Trade Fairy is a swirl of colour — sari silks in jewel tones, rails of flowing dresses and shelves of handmade jewellery. It’s the kind of shop you’d expect to find in Totnes, yet what makes it remarkable is the person behind the counter. At just 24, Rosie Sage has turned her vision into a thriving boutique; shaped by heritage, bohemian spirit and high-end design.

Rosie opened her first shop in 2023, aged 22, one week after getting the keys. She laughs looking back: “I was very scared doing it. We had a really small budget — I basically spent all of it on the floor. The rest I had to do myself with friends and YouTube tutorials.”

The seeds of the business were sown years before, when Rosie, her mum and grandmother — “all very fashion savvy” — began selling jewellery and clothing at markets and festivals. Rosie’s natural progression was opening a store, choosing a unit she had long admired: “It had been Que Sera Sera for about 15 years, and I always used to walk past it thinking, if I was ever going to open a shop in Totnes, it would be there. One day it closed down and I just thought — I need to get it.”

Beyond aesthetics, the shop carries a strong ethos. “We don’t sell anything from China, anything that was made in a sweatshop,” Rosie says. Instead, she imports directly from artisans in India and Turkey, many of whom they’ve met in person or are family.

Even through Covid, their suppliers were supported: “They were all paid even when money wasn’t being made. When people say ‘factories in India,’ it’s not like what you imagine. It’s open courtyards, little workshops with cats running in and out.” Non-profit Palestinian goods also feature, reflecting her mum’s charity work and giving the shop a political conscience as well as commercial purpose.

Starting out was not without its challenges: “When I first opened, I had someone helping me in the shop and people would come in and say to him, ‘Oh, are you the new owner?’ And he’d say, ‘No, it’s her.’” She smiles, but the anecdote underlines a repeated quiet prejudice faced as a young woman in business.

However, her “high-end bohemian” products, particularly sari silk in matching designs, has found its market. “A lot of people come and buy things for weddings, like bridesmaid dresses. I think the matching stuff is our niche, and people come back for it.”

For Rosie, it’s not just about selling clothes but creating a space built on creativity and courage. Her staff are friends and neighbours, festivals keep her grounded in her roots, and the daily work is fuelled by design — even designing some of the jewellery herself.

Her advice to other young people is practical: “Do your market research, find your niche, and get a mentor - someone who’s already doing what you want to do. It’s the best way to learn.”

Rosie’s story is still unfolding. But in Totnes, her presence is already a quiet triumph — proof that passion, ethics and resourcefulness can transform even the smallest budget into something lasting.