Fashion brand ME+EM - fans include the Princess of Wales and Lady Victoria Starmer - opens in Harrogate

ME+EM creates modern, elegant, functional clothes for busy women, with fans and wearers including the Princess of Wales, Victoria Starmer (she wore a ME+EM red midi dress to enter No 10 the day after the 2024 general election), Katie Holmes, Emily Maitlis and Angela Rayner (remember the green trouser suit she wore when appointed deputy prime minister?).

The brand has made a name for its “intelligent style”, with clothes that are flattering, functional, and with wear-forever appeal. There are 11 stores in the UK, concessions in Harrods and Selfridges, plus US stores in New York, the Hamptons and Dallas. So why Harrogate for ME+EM’s first Yorkshire store?

“We could see from our online data that we had a strong existing customer base in Harrogate, and once we combined that with customer feedback, we knew there was an opportunity for a boutique,” says founder and CEO Clare Hornby. “Stores are a key part of building an omnichannel experience so that customers can get to know the product first-hand.”

Originally from Greater Manchester, Clare says her parents instilled in her a strong work ethic from a young age.

“I worked in a denim factory and I ran my own stall on Oldham market selling shoes. I have always had an entrepreneurial spirit, and these experiences gave me insight into key aspects of running a fashion business,” she says.

“I grew up around very well-dressed women, including my mum and her friends, and this really influenced my sense of style and interest in fashion from an early age. I used to sew my own clothes, using patterns from Vogue magazine on my mum’s sewing machine.

“When I graduated from university, I joined the Harrods graduate scheme, working in their marketing department. This is where I fell in love with clothes, and discovered the power of a well-tailored trouser suit, but I was shocked by the prices.

“From there, I moved into advertising, which is where I really started to notice the gap in the market and developed the vision for the brand.”

Clare founded Pyjama Room in 2007 with her friend Emma Howarth, then in 2009 founded ME+EM also with Emma (who left the business in 2012).

ME+EM aims to hit a sweet spot offering luxury and affordability. “I had become frustrated that women always had to choose between quality and cost, between clothes that looked great and ones that you could actually function in,” says Clare.

“I realised that by adopting a direct-to-consumer business model and removing all middlemen, we could offer women luxury quality without the luxury price tag.

“We really did find the gap in the market, and it is what we call ‘modern luxury’.”

Getting started was not always easy, however. “I was very naive when I launched the business,” she says. “I didn’t even know a single supplier. While it had its challenges, I believe my naivety was actually a blessing as it allowed us to create our own ways of doing things, and we embraced the challenges.

“I was also very busy myself, juggling building a business with looking after my two young children and three step-children which, as any working mother knows, can be incredibly challenging.”

ME+EM is built on four key principles: flattering, functional, fashion and fair. “These are what sit behind our ‘Intelligent Style’ ethos,” she says. “By ensuring that every ME+EM product meets these benchmarks, our customers can be confident they are investing wisely in their wardrobes with us.

“We’re obsessed with making life for busy women just that bit easier, so everything we do speaks to that. We’re masters of the silhouette - creating flattering shapes is paramount – and then we combine that with exceptional quality fabrics to provide her with investment pieces she can consistently rely on.

“Everything we do also has an intelligent edge, from details like elastic in the sleeves of blazers to hold them in place to proportions that are all aligned for easy outfit building.”

Everything is designed in London. “We partner with the very best suppliers around the

world that align with our values: this forms part of our ‘fair’ principle,” Clare says.

“We have a global customer base that spans the US, UK and Europe, but the thing that unites her across all markets is that she is extremely busy - whether that’s with work, family, travel or all of the above.

“Women that want to look put together and feel confident while needing their clothes to function effectively.”

Lockdown was navigated successfully by staying agile and able to adapt quickly. “Naturally, the customer needs shifted during that time and we sold more T-shirts, casual dresses and denim, but once the pandemic was over we saw an immediate shift towards blazers and classic workwear. Even now, tailoring and blazers remain best-selling categories,” says Clare.

Clare has her own favourites from the ME+EM collections. My personal style is masculine mixed with a light touch of feminine,” she says. “I almost exclusively wear trousers and love a wide-leg fit. I have also been wearing our Oversized Blazer non-stop - we spent a long time getting the proportions right, so that the shape adds an edge but isn’t overwhelming, and then added in elastic to the sleeves so that you can achieve that scrunch that then stays in place.”

Further store expansion is a priority for ME+EM. “As well as the UK and US, we will be turning our attention to Europe - watch this space for more details,” she says.

And keeping the customer close is key to making sure ME+EM evolves and reflects what she wants.

Clare says: “Whenever I am not in meetings, I really enjoy spending time on the shop floor and speaking with customers. I love seeing women wearing our product first-hand and getting their feedback and suggestions - that insight is essential in helping us evolve our styles and provide the customer with what she needs.”

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