Shops / Shop of the Week
Shop of the Week: Paper Plane, Gloucester Road
Walking into Paper Plane feels less like entering a store and more like stepping into an indie arts market.
Tucked among a row of small businesses on Gloucester Road, this gift shop sells crafts made by Bristol’s local artists.
There’s something for everyone: illustrated prints, handmade jewellery and even retro clothing.
The shop belongs to Alice Rolfe, though ask her how long it’s been running, and she may not have a definitive answer.
“It’s been going for 15 years now,” she says at first, before a staff member, Sophia Checkley, gently corrects her.
Alice chuckles. “Might be 13 years, so change your thing.”
It’s a small moment, but a telling one. It’s almost as if she’s lost track of time because this has been such a huge part of her life.
Paper Plane stocks homeware and gifts made by local artists
At first glance, I would’ve guessed that the store has thrived for so long because of its carefully curated art.
Everything for sale has a contemporary and whimsical flair, like the colourful jewellery or the playful prints of Bristol.
As Alice walks me through the store, she gets lost in the art, too. At one point, she points out a wooden chopping board carved with angry-looking vegetables.
“I always laugh when I see someone buy it,” she tells me.
That’s before we notice the matching set of cutlery decorated with the same family of veggies, and she breaks into laughter. “Who comes up with it, you know?”
But the community is an even bigger part of the store’s identity. They have many loyal customers who return again and again, making for a tight-knit circle of support.
“I’ve had people come in just to have a chat, or just to say Happy Easter,” Sophia says while working the counter.
Paper Plane treats its artists like part of the family, too. The store prides itself on helping new talent to show off their work, including its own employees.
“It’s sort of a gentle beginning to lots of makers,” Alice explains.
“I think the whole point of it is to be as supportive as possible to people who are starting off in a world that is quite tricky.”
Paper Plane’s jewellery as ethically-sourced
When Alice talks about taking care of the community, that includes the environment.
She shows how the clothes on the hangers are verified as fairly produced, and how the artisan jewellery is made from recycled materials.
The store has got it down to the little details: even the greeting cards come wrapped in starch-based cellophane rather than plastic.
“We do our best to select makers who aren’t producing lots of waste,” Alice says. “We try and keep it as sustainable as we can.”
This sincerity is everywhere in Paper Plane, and most of all, in the owner herself.
“When Covid happened, when I shut the door for what could’ve potentially been the last time, I felt really sad,” she recalls.
“It made me realise how much I actually love it and really wanted it to survive,” Alice tells me. “And luckily, it did.”
All photos: Janine Tan
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