Meet the Essex fashionista launching a new boutique on Eaton Road

Working on clothes stalls in Essex markets from the age of 12 alongside her mum, Chanel Yol has fashion in her blood.

It gave her a passion for the business and also made her realise what’s often missing for girls who buy fast fashion from huge high street chains or online.

Now the 29-year-old is opening her own boutique, Coco Capri, this weekend in West Derby and she wants to give her customers that something extra.

“I want my shop to be like fast fashion but with a personal stylist, because that’s how you’re going to build a business, by getting to know clients and making them your friends so they feel comfortable and trust you,”

“I won’t lie to the girls and tell them they look nice if I don’t think something suits them. I’ll say ‘I think you should try this’ or give them an alternative. 

“That’s what my mum always did for me – and I think no-one speaks the truth like your mum!

“I want my customers to look nice so when they go out people go, ‘you look lovely, where did you get that from?

“I want them to feel good about themselves, and to build a relationship where they feel like they can come to me for help. 

“People who let you buy anything, whatever it looks like, are only there to make money. This is my passion so I want to be as truthful and authentic as I can with my customers.”

Chanel says the trend towards fast fashion has been fuelled by social media, especially for girls who love fashion and can’t resist constantly buying new pieces:

“I think if you’re into your clothes, something is always going to catch your eye and you’re always going to want more. 

“But a lot of young girls now wear things once because of social media then it gets put into the back of the wardrobe or put on Depop.

“They haven’t got the money to keep buying clothes that aren’t always great quality, so I don’t want them to waste their money. I’ve done it myself as a kid, rushed in to buy things and then been gutted afterwards.

“You don’t have to spend hundreds of pounds to look nice and you don’t have to settle just because you’re buying fast fashion.”

Chanel only picked up the keys for her boutique on Eaton Road two weeks ago, and she’s been working into the early hours with family and friends to get it ready for the opening on Saturday.

She explains Coco Capri will stock everything from loungewear to really dressy clothes at affordable prices, with lots of designer-inspired accessories:

“I want to cover every age and every size because it can be so hard for girls on the curvier side to find nice stuff,”

“I’ve always been big, so I know how hard it is to go out and find something and feel comfortable in it.”

Having helped run her mum’s shop in London, Chanel moved full-time to Liverpool in the summer to be with her long-term boyfriend. 

She’d been visiting every weekend since they met five years ago and fitted in instantly so says she can’t wait to open her boutique in the city:

“I feel so at home in Liverpool, we just gelled, and when I go back to London I actually miss it here. What I love about Scousers is how proud you all are of your city, how you all stick together, it’s like a breath of fresh air to come up here. It reminds me of old school East End where if you can help anyone you will, it’s such a nice environment to be in.

“With my mum’s shop we did post out to Liverpool a lot so I’m lucky that quite a few customers already follow my mum’s shop and I’ve had so many messages from girls excited for me to open mine.

“I absolutely love Liverpool girls and I love listening to them talk as well so it’s going to be like a mother’s meeting in there!”

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