Mary Queen of Frocks

TX: October

Retail guru Mary Portas made her name overhauling the retail industry, teaching shopkeepers how to walk the best walk and talk the best talk to guarantee exceptional customer service and booming business. But after all these years dishing out the advice, can this doyenne of the high street cut the mustard in her own fashion venture?

Mary has spotted a gap in the market - high street style that works for women, not girls. She is about to stake her professional reputation on designing, launching and most importantly, successfully selling her own fashion range exclusively aimed at this market. And she's doing it during one of the country's worst recessions for decades.

Starting from scratch, she's designing her own line of clothing, and finding a retailer willing to give her floor space, as well as hiring and training a team of sales staff. All while keeping an eye on the bottom line and making sure she is giving her potential customers the service she feels they so deserve.

But with so much stacked against Mary's reputation, and ever conscious that she will be scrutinised to make sure she practices what she has preached, she battles a rollercoaster of emotions that see her reach breaking point trying to make her dream become a viable reality. Can the former queen of shops become a successful Queen of Frocks?

Production company
Optomen