Queen of Fashion
As glamorous as the fashion magazine from which it takes its name, Harpers in Edgware celebrates its 50th birthday next week. Louisa Walters chatted to owner Karol and her daughters Katy and Lucy
Louisa Walters is Features Editor at the Jewish News and specialises in food and travel writing
Edgware was a rather different place in 1972 when a young Karol Solomons rose to the request of a family friend to partner him in the opening of a suburban boutique. The unit had been a kosher wine shop, and had Fagin’s book shop, Nurseryland and Please Mum childrenswear, Loppylugs record shop, Stanley Posner curtain shop, Jimmy’s salt beef bar and The Almond Tree café as its neighbours. “It was very much a village, and I took a chance opening a continental ladieswear shop,” says Karol.
Alan Gottlieb had wanted to open a childrenswear shop but Karol, who was working in fashion PR at the time, told him that French ladies separates were going to be the next big thing. Continental clothes were only available in West End stores and Karol saw an opportunity to bring them to the suburbs. At a party she met a girl whose mother owned a shop in Paris and this was how she first got introduced to wholeasalers in France.
Karol had trained as a nutritionist after getting a degree in dietetics from Newcastle University, but fashion was in her blood. Her parents Hymie and Gertie ran a fashion department in a store in Sunderland and Gertie attended Valentino’s first ever fashion show in Rome.
“We never advertised but word got out that a new shop in Edgware was stocking these amazing trousers that you couldn’t get anywhere else,” says Karol. “There were queues for the fitting rooms on the first day we opened.”
With its distinctive purple logo (it was changed to green in the 1980s) and much-coveted carrier bag – “all my friends wanted one!” says Lucy – Harpers quickly gained a loyal following.
“I loved going to friends’ houses after school because their mums were at home and they always had nice things for tea, but it was normal for me to go to the shop after school and to work there on a Saturday, and I loved it,” says Katy, “My friends worked in the shop too, making coffee and helping out. We loved dressing up in the clothes. I often did my homework in the office. “
“I was five when Harpers opened and I don’t really remember anything about it, says Lucy, “but I also can’t remember a time without it.” She was never that interested in the shop and if she ever did spend time there it would be out the back studying.
In the beginning Karol only bought what she liked and so the stock was very much her style. As Katy grew older and joined the business she started to exert her influence too. “We shop in Paris, New York, Milan and LA,” says Katy. “We both have an unusual eye and we always choose the things that no other shops have bought.”
From the get-go Karol worked six days a week, relying on au pairs to help out when the girls were small. On Fridays she left at three to make Shabbat dinner. When shops were allowed to open on Sundays Karol hired someone to work because although the kosher shops were open meaning that Edgware was busy and it was worth opening, Sunday was a day for her girls. “Sunday was Fun Day, and we could choose an outing. Whether it was going to the cinema or Maxwells in Hampstead, Mum took Katy and me out every week, although I’m sure sometimes she would have just liked to put her feet up!” says Lucy.
In 1986 Harpers opened a second branch in St Johns Wood, bringing the inimitable style to a whole new clientele. Karol’s husband Sydney ran this branch but after 24 years they decided to close it to focus on Edgware. Sydney retired and he is now training to be a golf pro!
When she was 21 Katy moved to Paris, where her bilingual skills served her well in a blossoming fashion career. She eventually met her husband and had two children. She was well located to do fashion buying for her mum’s shop and now she travels between the two cities every week.
In 1996 Harpers was looking for a new member of staff and Lucy, who had two small children and was working as a French and Spanish teacher, was looking to earn some extra money to keep things afloat while her husband’s new business was growing,
“I went in very reluctantly and was assured that I would just be doing admin and would not have to be on the shop floor with the customers,” she says. “The biggest thing for me was having to ‘look nice’ EVERY DAY! It didn’t take long for me to venture out of the office and I soon found my rhythm and actually enjoyed giving people their ‘Pretty Woman’ moment.”
As she got more involved she started to proffer her own opinions – and criticisms – on the clothes, so Karol and Katy insisted that she join them on buying trips. “We each have our own very different styles,” says Katy. “Karol is into colour and everything she wears is extremely flattering. I am feminine, on trend and love fringes and frill. Lucy is into bohemian, cool, casual and comfortable clothes. In this way we have a great range of styles in the shop and something to suit all our customers.”
Lucy has been there 26 years but is still the ‘new girl’, as everyone else has been there longer than her. “It’s testament to mum how long the staff have stayed working for her. Many customers have known me since I was a little girl and I have watched their daughters grow up and become customers too,” she says.
Karol has always resisted setting up a website and selling online as she is passionate about retaining the element of personal service. Lockdown presented the biggest challenge she has faced in 50 years. “It was Katy’s idea to do Instagram lives and that saved us. It was reassuring for our customers to see us and we loved being able to connect with them. We sold a lot of leisurewear during the lockdowns and cut right back on the amount of formal clothes we bought – and we haven’t really gone back,” she says.
“I have learnt so many lessons from Mum- work hard, be independent, enjoy every moment, recharge your batteries with well-earned holidays, put your lipgloss on before going home to your husband, make chicken soup, say I love you, speak to your children every day,” says Katy.
At 84 Karol has no intention of retiring and is the only member of staff (there are 10 in total) to work six days a week. “When I’m tired I pour myself a V&T, put on my lipstick and carry on,” she says.
“My mum is the most inspitational, hard-working, focussed and driven woman I have ever met,” says Lucy. “She has instilled a strong work ethic in both Katy and me. It is a privilege to be her daughter -on Mother’s Day that is all I could wish for my children to say of me.”
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