profile Sarah Murray, Jane Davidson Boutique

Family Affair -
Sarah Murray of Jane Davidson 
 

Daughter of respected Edinburgh business-woman, Sarah Murray has spent the last ten years building her mother’s self-titled shop, Jane Davidson, into one of Edinburgh’s pre-eminent fashion boutiques.

Sarah attends fashion shows around the world in order to create Jane Davidson’s exclusive collection.  Yet despite being immersed in the often insincere world of fashion, Sarah’s genuine and extremely down-to-earth aura makes her stand out as a business woman whom others respect and admire. So how does a woman re-energise an existing family business and create an internationally acclaimed Scottish shopping destination?

 

It may seem a natural progression for a daughter to succeed her mother in the family business.  This wasn't Sarah's intended career path, however!

‘I was back living in Edinburgh after spending a few years on the continent once I’d finished university’ she explains. ‘It was co-incidental that at the same time my mum needed an assistant to help her in the shop. I eventually suggested that I could work there for a while – until I decided what I wanted to do.’

Sarah freely admits that working there was not top of her career wish-list; ‘Jane Davidson was a place older ladies went to buy clothes, ladies that were the same age or older than my mum.  It certainly wasn’t a place my generation would be found shopping!’

When illness meant Jane needed a helping hand in the boutique, a young Sarah stepped into her mother’s shoes and set about transforming the business into the brand that fashion bible Harper & Queen voted as one of the top 25 boutiques in the world.
 

Her strategy was risky and yet underpinned by the sort of fearless determination and enthusiasm that youth affords. ‘I was only 22 when I took over running Jane Davidson, and I had a lot of ideas about what I wanted to do with the shop. I wanted to introduce younger, funkier, and fresher styles of clothing – clothes that I could see myself wearing!’
 

Having secured the investment to pursue the dream, Sarah did what women do best – she shopped!  She successfully introduced two major new international brands; Jimmy Choo shoes and La Perla Lingerie.

Of course Introducing the new range did risk alienating the existing customer base her mother had built over the previous 30 years. However the risks paid off.

‘There were some grumbles from customers in the beginning, and a lot of my decisions were made on a trial and error basis. However I did make sure that when I was away on buying trips, I got some styles that I believed our 20 most regular customers would like. Ironically, the customers that complained the most, spent the least in the shop!’

So what makes the boutique so special?  It's housed over 4 floors of classic Edinburgh Georgian elegance for a start and showcases a tempting assortment of international designer brands. A personal assistant is  on hand to help customers find clothing to compliment their individual figure, personality and style.

Loyal customers feel that what they choose is unique, looks fabulous and helps them look their best.  Which is why they keep returning for more!

With so much success, does Sarah have plans to expand the Jane Davidson brand? ‘I am quite happy with just the one boutique that I can personally oversee. However we have launched an online boutique, allowing our customers from further afield to view and purchase from our latest collection’.

So what does the astute, forward-thinking fashion guru recommended for the forthcoming season?

Click here to view Sarah’s recommendations: