By Laura Glenn

Copyright derryjournal

Named ‘Michi’, after the Spanish pet name for cat and with the tagline: ‘We sell cute things,’ the Waterloo Street store is born from owner Nerea Fernández’ love of cute collectibles, trinkets and nostalgia. it has opened at a time when Kawaii culture, cult collectibles and ‘cuteness’ trends have never been more popular – remember the recent ‘Labubu’ craze? But for Nerea, this isn’t just a business or a phase. Michi is the culmination of a lifetime of collecting trinkets, plushies and cute things, combined with her strong background in retail and marketing. Speaking to the Journal, Nerea told how, a few years ago, she never would have guessed that her hobby would turn into a great business idea. However, when she began looking for something that would complement her job as a language assistant in local schools, it became obvious. “I wanted something in retail and marketing, which is my background and realised that maybe I could combine both by opening my own shop. I thought of a few ideas but realised it had to be something that I actually liked. ‘Miffy’ was the first thing I thought of. I wanted to become a stockist and then one thing led to another. ‘Miffy’ is a hugely popular fictional rabbit, who has appeared in books and TV series. She had amassed a huge fandom, both with children and adults old and young, with merchandise selling out around the world. With Miffy as a starting point, Nerea went on to add more global and cultural phenomena to the shop’s collection, including the incredibly-popular ‘Sonny Angels,’ and for whom she recently became an official stockist. As her idea for the shop began to grow, so did the colourful, fun space, which she has stocked with cult favourites and rising stars. There are plushies, stickers, music boxes, tea sets, trinkets, badges and pins, the ever-popular ‘Blind Boxes’, K-Pop items, character figures, bag charms, crafts and puzzles, fashion and so, so much more. Nerea says the store is one-of-a-kind in Derry – while others may stock a few cult collectibles, Michi has them all in one place. The shop has been a huge hit so far, with queues out the door on opening day. “People love collecting stuff. When I was young, I loved collecting plushies and this is the same concept. I think it gives people comfort and make you feel part of something. I had Labubus long before they became popular here and it’s something that brings me joy. “People love to display them and look at them. It gives them joy too. Some people have a room full of posters and this is similar. It’s something that makes you happy to look at.” Many characters, like Hello Kitty, also invoke a real sense of nostalgia, which is also something Nerea wanted to focus on. “I’m trying to balance the new trends and the nostalgia. I used to love Tamagotchi and my mum wouldn’t let me have one – so i would use my friends! ” I love all that stuff and people are so happy when they come in and see all the nostalgia pieces. They’re very popular.” Michi is an official stockist of a carefully curated selection of brands, including Bon Ton Toys; Rolife, Bills & Co, Sylvanian Families, CuteryKo, Moulin Roty, Momjii, Tokidoki, Sticky Bestie and Tired Girl Apparel. Nerea is always adding new stock, trends and brands, with a range that appeals to both children and adults alike, both male and female. If you’d like to find out more, see https://www.michishopni.com/ or @michishopni on TikTok. Opening Hours are Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday from 10am to 5pm and Friday from 1.30 to 5.30pm.