By Elena Taggart
This article was originally about new businesses, new starts, new year.
But meeting Judith and Alex, what struck me was the number of inspiring women starting businesses. From our glorious leader, Suzanne Martin, making the Westender tick one trolley of magazines at a time (in all weather gear) to even me, starting my journey on the basis of a chat in a campervan. Cut to six years later I am lucky enough to be doing what I love, writing about fashion and working in fashion. But what of our two interviewees, what are their stories?
Les Garçonnes
Alex Honaker, founder of Les Garçonnes in Finneston is from Montana, “Prior to beginning work on the store, I had been studying philosophy– that’s how I ended up in Glasgow. I came here for my postgrad study and ended up marrying a Frenchman whom I met here. The research I did in my study centred on how we aestheticise and sexualise the body. So I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about what it means for something to look ‘sexy’. I thought it could be special to create a store where our picture of sexy was agential, cheeky, and genuinely cool. So often lingerie has been marketed as a way to be looked at. I want what we do to be about something more personal.”
“Les Garçonnes” in French literally translates as tomboy, but the heavier meaning is about emancipated women. Picture a 1920’s flapper, ditching corsets and adopting a more independent modern life outlook. So with that in mind, Alex created a business in Finneston which is a specialty lingerie store specialising in independent and up-and-coming brands. “We prioritise sustainability and inclusivity in our buying, and all of our lingerie brands are owned by women. After ruminating on the idea for about a year, I opened the doors in September last year.”
I asked Alex about her choices for the store? Are they your designs or do you source? How are the garments made? Where? “I source our products directly from the brands, with very few exceptions. Many of our brands are UK-based, though we have others from France, Barcelona, and the US. Each brand is different in terms of production, but they all work to produce their products in a sustainable way. Some use deadstock and end of roll fabrics, others use organic or recycled materials. Often they’re made by very small teams of seamstresses. In one case, they’re made entirely by one person.”
Alex only works with brands that she loves
“I love brands that have a unique viewpoint and a kind of playfulness. I want our products to be surprising. I’ve recently brought on a hosiery brand (Taz Porter) whose tights are so impossibly cool– everyone that comes in comments on them. Clothing for me was always about joy; underwear can be too.”
“We’re still very new and finding our feet, but it has been really meaningful to hear from our peers– others small stores and brands that we work with– that they like what we’re doing. It’s such a pleasure to work with all these women who are each heading their own projects, and it’s felt really supportive all the way.”
Hailing from Montana, how does it feel living in, and founding a business in Scotland? “It’s a bit complicated, I think. My husband (who has helped me immensely with the store) and I have both immigrated to Scotland from other countries, and so I think we bring other heritages along with us. But then, I think diversity makes Scotland, and certainly Glasgow, in part what it is. I feel like I’m just starting to get a sense of Finnieston. I’m a bit shy, but I’m finally getting to know the neighbours— obviously it’s the best neighbourhood for food. I may have followed my stomach here, but there are some other little gems, gift shops like Velvet Moon, or Roots, Fruits & Flowers where I get my baguette to gnaw on while I walk home: the French way. People always say they’re surprised to see us here, but I think there’s a lot of opportunity for more independent shops to make the most of the brunch traffic.”
‘I think a business should serve its community first and foremost, so if we do that well, this will be a store that is very Glasgow and that makes the most sense here. I love that we host brands from far and wide too, and that we get to share those brands with our customers. But working with local creatives is a priority for the store. We’ll be doing more and more of it in the coming year.”
Sustainability
It sounded like sustainability was super important to Alex, so I wanted to ask more about her approach. “Sustainability was always fundamental to my plan for the business. I wanted to create somewhere where you could shop and feel good about it because we’ve done the vetting for you. Sustainable production and extended sizing are the first two things I look for when I’m checking out a brand.” Couldn’t support this more as sizing is the number one thing that closes brands off from many of my clients. It’s wonderful to see someone championing not just sustainability but a diverse range of sizes for women.
“Our brands all have different approaches, and nobody is absolutely perfect— you really can’t be with underwear; it has a finite life cycle— but all our brands make high quality garments through low-waste and small-scale production. I’m very proud of that.”
Where do you see your store going, what is next? “I think we’re at an information-gathering phase with the store. I’m trying to get a sense of what the market and the community wants, and the best way for us to do that. I’d love to bring in a broader array of products, find more local brands and creatives to work with, develop our own products, but I think it’s most important to first learn how we can help. I grew up in a family business that was really, sincerely important to the community, and I just wanted the store to aspire to that. I want it to be a little bit mine and a little bit Glasgow’s.” I love that.
I asked Alex if she had any advice for other new aspiring entrepreneurs? “It’s brutal, you’re never finished, keep going. And absolutely ask for help.” Such fantastic advice.
Judith Kenny Jewellery
Judith Kenny of Judith Kenny Jewellery started making jewellery in 1999. “I worked for the ringmaker, soon became a designer and worked in all their different branches from Bothwell to Princess Square. It was such a great stage for learning about diamonds, stones and importantly, how to deal with customers. Later on I opened my own shop on Park Road, it was such a great space. I had a workshop in the back and I was able to showcase my work and the work of other jewellers who I loved. I also taught at Cardonald College. Cut to 8 years later I had my children and I’ve worked from home ever since until opening this shop five months ago.”
“The journey has been energising, the community around me has been so supportive, everyone is really friendly in Broomhill. I meet customers daily who say they have lived in this community for twenty, thirty, forty years so it feels like such a great community to be part of.”
Comissions
What are you working on at the moment? “Today I am working on a number of commissioned pieces. I love working on commissions. People come in with either an idea or no idea, they might want something special to mark a special occasion or they might have Granny’s old rings and want to remodel them, using the same gold and diamonds in memory of their loved one. I do so much remodeling as well as a lot of making things fresh.
Pieces can be commissioned and designed to be unique to the individual their memory or occasion, items with personalised lettering, birthstones. I have done lots of unusual pieces too, for instance cats fluff in a glass vial round someone’s neck! One client even brought in her horse’s ashes! A huge box of ashes, obviously there is quite a bit more ashes for a horse, but we made it into a ring!” Quite the statement ring I’d think!
“A loved one’s ashes can be made into a myriad of different types of jewellery. These things are important to people, they feel attached to jewellery. I love when people bring me their stories and I can translate it into something they can wear to remember someone.”
Have you always been passionate about jewellery? “Yes! My mum found a picture of me when I was a wee girl at nursery school and I had borrowed one of her big chunky chains and I was proudly wearing it in a nursery photo! Looking like Mr T with a big chunky chain! My mum has always been into jewellery, my dad was very good friends with Eric Smith the jeweller so for every birthday he would get my mum something made. I was always excited to see what! My father was a dentist but he was super artistic, he’s a painter, an illustrator and so was Mum. Both of them were so creative so I had that grounding growing up. My Granny had the most fascinating jewellery box, I would love to go visit and sift through her little box of gems, it was very exciting!”
One-Offs
And Judith’s business ethos? “I think it’s going back to that feeling of meaning. I want people to feel like they have something special, they have something of meaning. The majority of the pieces I make are one-off, I work in collaboration with customers to make something that is significant to them. And that is what I want, I want to make lovely special jewellery for lovely special people.”
Tell me about your collections… “Every few days I am making something that is new and unique to add to the collection in store. I have my own style and I’m constantly revamping and refining it. I take inspiration from everything around me, materials, metals, textures all inspire me. I’ll see a piece of metal and think “that will look really lovely as a necklace or a pin. I gain inspiration from random things everywhere.”
What has been your business highlight of the last few years? Opening the shop has been a huge highlight. I’ve also made jewellery for TV, I made some pieces for the TV show Shetland which was quite exciting! They were looking for something quite specific for an episode about a lady jeweller and the rings were an important part of the plot line. I also made pieces for “The A Word” another British TV series. That was exciting, seeing your stuff on TV! But yeah, everyday is great when you are doing something you love!”
Where do you source your materials from? “All over to be honest, we have stone dealers in London and across Europe. Through the years you build up a clear picture of who to go to for which materials, you know who is good for pearls, who to go to for diamonds. All my metals are recycled and my diamonds are conflict free. Which is so important to me and for clients to know. There is only a finite amount of silver in the world, so it is important to recycle and reuse when we can. Such a fun idea to take old jewellery that isn’t used and turn it into one big chunky funky thing!”
So do you consider sustainability important to you and your brand? “Yes, I love the idea of recycling your old jewellery, not having to buy new materials, and mine more metals. People bring existing pieces of jewellery to be transformed. The movement to reduce, reuse and recycle can be applied to your jewellery as well! Bring in what you have and it can be melted down into something completely new. Rather than using resources to mine more metals. In my shop I have made all my own cabinets, albeit some are recycled from old Ikea drawers wrapped but I made the rest from scratch. I like the idea that pieces are not off-the-shelf, they are handmade to your specifications.”
And The Future?
What is your business mission, what is your plan, what is next? “I used to do lots of night classes, so that’s next, I would love to run classes from the shop, even though it’s small and bijou I think it will work well! I also like to have original art on the walls so I plan to have an artist of the season in residence, maybe change it up every few months and invite customers to have drinks and meet the artist. Just carry on making happy jewellery and get more people knowing about my brand and wearing handmade jewellery. I get so excited when I see people in my jewellery or I walk past one of my door plaques.”
Would you have any advice for anyone setting up a jewellery business or any business for that matter? “Yeah, as cliched as it is, I would just say, GO FOR IT! It is so great to wake up every morning and do something that you really love, and 25 years later I still love it. I know that it is a gift. I really believe if you are passionate and you love it, you can make it work. Just give it everything, if you love it, hopefully you will succeed.” Exactly! Couldn’t agree more Judith!
I asked Judith if there was anything else she would add and that was where it struck us both.
The Start-Up Sisterhood
“Talking to other business owners on the little block that I am on we realised, just how amazing it is, that we are all female business start-ups. You have the wool shop, the hair dressers, where my daughter has a Saturday job so we’re all kind of in this together.” Which I love.
“People keep talking about the demise of the highest-street but I think actually in the last few years people have come out of COVID and its starting pickup. People are really appreciating small small shops and independent makers. I know a number of female friends starting businesses, so many inspiring women opening businesses.”
“Being based in the Westend, is perfect, I think that people here are maybe more artistic and interested in handmade work, they appreciate something a little more unusual and arty. It’s great to be part of the Broomhill community, it’s such a lovely place. Everyone has been really positive and encouraging. I love that there are so many other cool little shops and places to go, it’s just such a cool place to be! Agreed.
Les Garçonnes is at 194 Argyle St, Finnieston,
open 12-6pm Tuesday until Saturday.
Judith Kenny Jewellery is at 199 Crow Road, Broomhill
open Wednesday 11-6pm, Thur to Sat 10-5pm and Sundays 12-4pm.
Go say hello to these inspiring female business owners, tell them we said hi!
