Every area of Glasgow has it’s own High Street, in one form or another. It takes a particular combination of factors to give a tangible reason to make a detour in that direction. Hyndland Road is blessed by geography: pitched in the centre of the West End and close to residential areas like Milngavie, Bearsden and Jordanhill.
Solo is an independent fashion boutique that’s a stalwart of the scene here and has plenty of company these days. Owner Samantha Breckenridge took some time to speak to Glasgowist.
Solo had been on Hyndland Road since 1984, how did you come to take over the business?
They originally started in what used to be Oddbins, around the corner. Then they moved to 181 Hyndland Road which is where we are today. I took over, it was five years ago in January.
What was your background before that, Samantha?
Before that I did a history degree. I studied at Edinburgh, got a history degree which is not really fashion related but decided to go down that route.
I studied International Fashion Marketing at Caledonian University, a Masters there and then I worked for New Look in London as a buyers’ assistant. I did that for just over a year but London wasn’t for me. That’s when I came back and this opportunity came about. I knew the shop as my mum shopped here and I knew it was the right area for me and there was an existing clientele.
How have you put your stamp onto Solo do you think?
Well, initially I didn’t change anything too much because I didn’t want to alienate anyone. Since then I’ve made progressive internal changes. The interior is different, we have modern new mannequins to showcase the fashions and we are bringing in new labels which fit with current style.
Tell us about the labels that can be found in the shop?
I’d highlight Aileen Fisher, that’s an American label and it’s been good for us. That’s one that I brought in. We had exclusivity for the first year in Scotland. We stock clothes from a Scottish designer, Claire Campbell. Then there’s Marc Cain, Repeat, Not Shy, Weston Scarves, Mac Jeans.
How do you develop these relationships? How do you start bringing in new brands?
Normally there are trade shows that take place twice a year for Spring/Summer and Autumn/Winter. It’s just a case of going to those and looking around. There’s a really good one in London called Scoop and that’s held at the Saatchi Gallery. Among other shows I’ll go to, there’s Premiere Classe which is in Paris and it’s a big exhibition where there’s lots of international and French labels. Also sometimes if you’re away in Paris it’s good to go and look at the shops there to see what they have available. Sometimes you stumble across a label there and then it’s a case of finding out if they would sell to an independent retailer.
Obviously Glasgow is one of the great shopping cities in the country and also we’ve got pretty much every national brand on our doorstep as well. At the same time we’ve got a very strong and proud tradition of independent stores. Was that something you were conscious of when you moved back to Glasgow, that there is still space for independent retailers?
I think it’s just a case of offering something that’s unique. You can get lots of labels online but it’s just trying to get something that’s different. We only sell one of each size so you know there’s not going to be a whole load of these designs walking around whereas if you go to the likes of Zara you see someone else in your Zara coat walking down the street every day. It’s about getting something that’s different and good quality.
What about Hyndland anyway, is it a particularly fashionable area of Glasgow would you say?
I would say it is. It’s quite quirky in the West End and on Hyndland Road, there’s lots of fashionable ladies, yes, who want to be a bit different. They don’t just want to have something everyone else has. They’re sort of looking for that individual piece.
Can people can come in and have a discussion about what they actually want to find?
They can have a look around and we’ll help them and try and find them something that will suit them and that they are happy with. I think you can go into the shops in town and you can’t find anyone to serve you whereas here you’ve got that one-on-one with the customer.
Do you find you have people travelling from outwith the area, that word is starting to spread?
We’ve always had that since we started here. We have people that come from Edinburgh, that come from Millport for the day and they’ll visit and buy something here. We do have quite a wide clientele.
Are you glad you took the leap into fashion retail?
Yes, absolutely. Some days more than others, but generally, yes.
What about where you take Solo from here?
We want to build the brand and bring more people to the store on Hyndland Road. We’re also looking to do some more online retail because obviously that’s a big thing now.
In recent years there have been other additions that have helped create a bit of noise about Hyndland Road, does that help to bring people to Solo?
This area is very popular and interesting. There’s Epicures which is constantly full of people meeting for coffees and things. People tend to sort of walk up and down the street here and pop into lots of places. They’ll come here for the day, they’ll meet their friends for lunch and then walk along and do all the shops.
I’ve got Ellen Conlan next door so people come to get their hair done and then they’ll pop in to us. You can sort of get a whole outfit because I’ve got Daniel the shoe shop and then there’s Silks next door to us so you can come to come to our street and get everything you want really and it’s different and quirky, have a good time and get a nice lunch as well.
Solo
181 Hyndland Road
Glasgow
G12 9HT
Tel: 0141 357 2334
MON – SAT: 9:30AM – 5:30PM
