Best friends and business partners, Kirsty Irvine and Carolyn Knox are the brains behind ElevenTwentySix, the Glasgow-based personal shopping service used by the city’s most stylish residents. Not only do the pair help clients shop for special occasions and style the latest trends, but since launching their business in 2020, they have also become expert “Closet Cleansers”, purging wardrobes of unworn and unloved items to make space for dresses, skirts, trousers and tops that help build confidence.
Here, the stylish duo – who first met while working together in Topshop’s personal shopping department – share what they’ve learned since starting ElevenTwentySix, including advice for anyone wanting to follow in their footsteps.
Alice Hinds: You both live and work in Glasgow – did you ever consider moving to London or another major city to grow your careers?
Kirsty Irvine: That was actually part of the inspiration behind what we do. We both worked for a business that was bigger in London – we were the regional team – and we realised there really wasn’t the same kind service in Scotland. Other cities wanted personal shopping, so why wouldn’t ours?
Carolyn Knox: We knew there was a client base and a demand, but there wasn’t anyone else providing that service. So, we jumped on it.
AH: So, did you always want to work in fashion?
CK: I had always wanted to be in design – as a little girl, I actually made my own fashion magazines that I would pass around all the neighbours! I went to Glasgow School of Art and did a degree in textile design with a fashion base, and while I loved the course, by the end of it, I started to realise that my love was more for fashion in general, not just coming up with my own designs. After university, I did work experience with Eva Arrighi [former fashion editor] at The Herald newspaper. I was her assistant on styling shoots, which gave me the chance to learn, and decide whether that was something I wanted to pursue. After that, a role came up within the personal shopping department at Topshop, so my career just took a natural turn.
KI: I had a real obsession with clothes from quite a young age. My mum made a lot of her own clothes, so I think I inherited that passion from her. She worked in fashion retail and interior home styling, so I did a bit of work experience with her, and then I went down the management programme route with Topshop. After working there for a while, I was approached by head office to move into the personal shopping department – customer service meant everything to me, and I was really passionate about giving people a really nice experience, so it was a natural next step.
What did you both learn from that role?
CK: Personal shopping is all about how the client feels – rather than just putting them in an amazing outfit, you want them to feel confident. It was always so nice to see someone change over the course of their appointment, coming away with more confidence. We both learned a lot from that role.
KI: It wasn’t always about the “look” or the latest trends, but seeing someone’s face light up and show off their inner confidence. I later moved into a head office role, and that’s what I missed the most. I missed the clients, the people, and working with Carolyn – so that was when we got back together.
One of the most popular services you offer is a “Closet Cleanse”, which involves helping people finally let go of that dress, complete with tags and never worn, or the pair of jeans that don’t zip up anymore. Why do people find it easier for someone else to clear out their wardrobe?
CK: No one wants to deal with their own mess, do they?
KI: A lot of people think, ‘OK it’s not too bad, I can cope with that, I can get through my life and do my job’ – but when the burden of a messy cupboard is taken away, they realise how much lighter they feel. After we do a closet cleanse, and the bags are waiting to be taken to the charity shop, our clients look at the clothes they’re donating and say, ‘I already feel lighter!’
CK: It just feels good to have a bit of a purge. You can see better the things you already have, and what you really like to wear, so it stops you buying so much as well.
On the note of buying less, what are your thoughts on fast fashion?
CK: Our personal shopping appointments could be seen as encouraging people to buy more, but we always make sure our clients buy pieces that they will be able to restyle over and over again, all throughout the seasons. It’s quite easy to overbuy or buy just for the sake of it, and then you forget to do your returns… that’s how it all starts adding up.
KI: When we first starting chatting about setting up the business, we were very conscious of not encouraging over-consumption, which was very much the trend for personal shopping in the past.
CK: With our shopping appointments, you don’t have to buy anything either. It can just be an opportunity to try on new styles, and learn a bit more about your own personal style. Whether you spend £50 or £500, we just want people to buy items that they are actually going to wear. You need to be smart with your purchases.
Looking back, did you ever think your business would be as successful as it has been?
KI: I don’t think we had many expectations [laughs].
CK: We were just so excited about getting to work together again. We didn’t think too far into the future. It’s such a fun job, it doesn’t feel like work sometimes!
KI: We thought it was going to be super hard and we would just get by and no more – then covid hit just after we started the business, and that was really tough. But we found ways to work around it and managed to keep ourselves afloat.
CK: We made sure that we developed our business through that time. We came up with new things to offer clients, like virtual styling, and that’s so important for a business. You need to be able to adapt to the climate and the market.
Do you have more confidence in yourself as business women now, too?
CK: Imposter syndrome is very real! But absolutely our confidence has grown in loads of ways, especially when it comes to asking for things that we might not have at the start. Now, we know we deserve it, we work really hard, and we offer a great service.
KI: There’s times we both suffer from imposter syndrome, but because there’s two of us, we talk each other down and remind each other of the things we’ve achieved.
What’s it like to work with your best friend?
KI: Honestly, it’s so good. When we chatted about starting the business, we knew we needed to have open, honest conversations now and forevermore, so it needs to be a friend that you can do that with.
CK: We said straight from the get-go, if the business interferes with our friendship, we can’t do it anymore.
KI: Exactly. Our business was based on our friendship, so we just thought, ‘Let’s give this a try… and not fall out in the process’ [laughs]. It’s amazing if you have the confidence to do it on your own, but having somebody with you that you trust is lovely. You always have that sounding board.
What would be your one piece of advice for young women who want to follow in your footsteps?
CK: Find experience in any way you can. I didn’t know if I wanted to do styling, so I did editorial shoots on my days off from my full-time job, and I’m so glad I did it. Employers like to know that you’ve made an effort, that you have a passion for something, and that you’re that interested in it. Work experience shows that.
KI: If it is fashion you want to pursue, feeling confident in what you can deliver, is the most important thing.
CK: And just go for it! I so wish we did earlier. Don’t let fear hold you back – sometimes you just need to take a risk.
Follow Kirsty and Carolyn on Instagram @eleventwentysix_.
