We Meet...William Gee

In 1906 an East European immigrant, William Goldstein, changed his name to William Gee and opened a small trimmings shop in the London Borough of Hackney. Today, William Gee is a leading stockist and distributor of textile trimmings and haberdashery products in the UK. Adam Graham, Co-Director at William Gee shows us around and we find out more about how a business that started with just £2 worth of stock has grown into the successful company it is today.

- Helen Bowen

Jump off the Victoria Line at Highbury and Islington tube station, take the over ground train two stops to Dalston Junction and you’ll find yourself less than a five minute walk from the William Gee shop on Kingsland Road. Located opposite Arthur’s Café (the site of the original shop in 1906), two shop frontages greet visitors to the retail outlet. Signage proudly declaring them as ‘Stockists of All English Sewing Products and Distributors and Stockists of all JP Coats Products’ and the clock (stuck at ten o’clock) hanging above the entrance, give you the feeling that not a lot has changed in the 111 years since this retail premises first opened its doors.