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Date: 4/26/2022
NORTHAMPTON – For Western Massachusetts entrepreneur and business owner Kayla Diggins, fashion has been an important facet of her everyday life from an early age.
Ever since graduating from Lasell University with a degree in fashion and retail merchandising, Diggins has been entrenched in the fashion industry doing retail, wholesale and serving as a sales representative for seven years. During that time she worked with merchandisers and brands in the New England area. Once COVID-19 hit, however, Diggins had to pivot.
“I was really looking for a way to bring what I love to this area,” said Diggins, reflecting on those tough months during the pandemic.
The idea for Diggins’ novel online fashion business, Harper James, was brewing for a while, she told Reminder Publishing during an interview at the Woodstar Café in downtown Northampton. “I finally needed to just go for it and take the risk,” she said. “It’s one of those things where if you don’t ever try, you can regret it for the rest of your life.”
The business was officially established in the beginning of March, and as of right now, offers a curation of the latest trends in women’s clothing, as well as other accessories like jewelry and bags. While she is currently a resident of Westhampton, Diggins is trying to spread the business all over Western Massachusetts to start. Her Facebook page in particular showcases some of her items with tags of places like Northampton, Easthampton and Holyoke.
“The goal is to start doing some pop ups this summer just to get some local customers and visibility in the community,” said Diggins. “I love that I’m part of the small business community in the area, so I want to contribute and become a member of that.”
According to Diggins, the curation process for her items has been a little more difficult than she thought, mainly because she is still trying to determine interest and what type of customer base she may garner. She said the line of items could change weekly, depending on what she is feeling and what is popular. “I want to be able to bring a little bit of my style too,” Diggins added. “I want to be true to myself and my brand, but also have stuff for the community.”
Diggins told Reminder Publishing that she wanted to develop a name for the business with a worthwhile meaning. She once met an artist she admires, who started her own business and named it after what she would potentially name her future child. Diggins found inspiration through this artist, and decided to use “Harper” as the first part of her own business, since that is the name she hopes to use for her future first child, whenever that may be. The “James” portion, meanwhile, comes from her father’s side.
“‘Harper James’ is a name I would like to use for a child one day, so it’s kind of like the business is named after them,” said Diggins. “It’s something that really struck me.”
When she first opened, Diggins said she did not think that she was going to sell much, and therefore kept her expectations low. Since opening, however, Diggins has been impressed with the amount of attention her boutique has garnered, already.
“I’ve been genuinely blown away by family, friends and people who know me in the area supporting the business, and sharing it on social media,” said Diggins. “I feel like I’ve hit more milestones and goals that I could’ve never imagined within the first month.”
While her business specifically focuses on women’s attire and accessories, Diggins said she is open to expanding with unisex merchandise clothing featuring her logo. For the time being, though, she wants to focus on curating specific tops, dresses and bottoms. Although she is cultivating a community in Western Massachusetts, Diggins said one of her first non-family sales occurred in California, a little milestone she is fondly proud of.
Her goal over the next few months is to partner with other local businesses in the area for pop-up shops to help her name out in Western Massachusetts.
“Online is nice, but it will also be nice to be present in front of customers,” said Diggins. “I think that’s also what really sells your product … when you’re there, passionate, and you can tell your story. This is the first time in my career I have felt like I’m exactly where I should be and what I should be doing,”
People interested in buying something from Harper James can visit the website, https://harperjamesclothing.com/. Items are shipped directly to one’s house, and Diggins also said that people can message her through the site or on social media if they have any size questions.
Diggins also said that people can use a discount code to get 15 percent off their order. The code is REMINDER15.