Two women have launched a new store aimed at promoting female-led businesses.
Aoife Bonner and Hannah Vail, who have operated successful enterprises in Londonderry for a number of years, have teamed up to launch Girl — a creative studio and shop stocking products made by women.
“We aren’t some sort of feminist movement or anything, we just know how hard it can be for women to run their own businesses and we want to support them in any way we can,” Aoife said.
“We will be rotating and changing what’s stocked in the shop, we don’t want to keep it the same, we want to be introducing new products and businesses all the time.”
The pair became friends after renting adjacent units in Derry’s Craft Village.
“We would talk about the difficulties of running a business and just sort of help each other out, then Hannah had a baby,” Aoife explained.
“She’s over two-and-a-half years old now, and then I had a baby just over a year ago. Since being parents, we have leaned on each other that bit more I suppose.”
Aoife already owned Sass & Halo, a bespoke fashion headwear shop, and Hannah ran printed clothing brand Han*.
Their friendship mimicked the trajectory of their businesses, growing from strength to strength.
Hannah had been thinking about combining the shops, and at the end of last year she mentioned the idea.
Aoife recalled: “I was, like, ‘yes!’. I’d thought about it, I think we were both thinking about it for a while, but we just didn’t know how the other would react .
“I think we both needed it, we wanted a change and a rebrand.”
Girl in Derry’s Craft Village (Picture by Martin McKeown)
They believe the new venture will help give them a better work-life balance.
“I think, especially as mothers, it can be so much harder for us to manage a business. Doing it together means one of us can be in the shop one day and another another day,” she added.
“Running a business can be so difficult — neither of us got maternity leave, we were both back at it basically straight away, so it’s very difficult.
“But I think we are setting a great example for our daughters, showing them what they can achieve.”
The pair are passionate about giving other female-led ventures a chance to shine, and are currently showcasing merchandise from businesses in Donegal, Belfast and Larne.
“It’s the type of place you could come into and get a gift for your mum or your sister or your aunt, or even get yourself a wee treat,” Aoife said.
Girl officially launched on Friday night and it’s going well already.
Aoife said: “I’m so grateful for everyone that has come in.
“I’m blown away by the support we have received.
“It’s a lot of people that have followed both of our journeys for a long time now. We have had people saying: ‘I don’t know why you didn’t do this sooner’.
“We have had a steady flow of customers since we opened and I just love to see it. You don’t even need to buy anything, it’s just great to see people coming in and having a look.”
She added: “Girl is a concept. We can’t stock every female-led business, but we do support every female-led business.
“We want to do as much as we can to support women in business.
“At the weekend I had this girl come up to me to ask for advice on starting her own business and I was so happy to give it to her.
“This is just about girls supporting girls any way we can.”