Hannah Zakari – the new girl in town

With all the indie-craft and handmade goods markets popping up across Edinburgh, it was only a matter of time before somebody set up a real, bricks and mortar shop to represent their brand. The gorgeous new Hannah Zakari store, situated on the artsy strip that is Candlemaker Row, is an extension of the popular website of the same name, where owner Rachael Lamb sells a mix of independently designed goods from the UK and around the world.

Rachael describes her beautiful new shop as having a ‘curated’ air about it, and I can see what she means with the various items on display positioned around the walls lovingly, like works of art. Those who like their jewellery, accessories and homewares to be quirky, stylish and lovingly designed will fully approve of the handpicked selection of goods. She says ‘I try to stock pieces that are a bit different, regardless of the price or where they’ve come from. I like to choose things that you can’t get anywhere else.’

Rachael likes having a real premises because she gets to interact with the customers. ‘Online is quite anonymous, and you rarely get to hear what your customers think. It’s so nice having a physical space where I can meet people and get their reactions. I love it when shoppers tell me that we’re getting it right.’ She fell in love with the shop the day she saw it and knew immediately that it was the perfect venue for Hannah Zakari. She now plans to move through here from Glasgow.

‘I really like Edinburgh’ Rachael says. ‘The city has such a nice atmosphere to it, and the craft scene seems to be getting increasingly popular.’ And Emily Chandler, founder of another great new local shop, The Spider & the Fly on Bread Street, agrees; ‘I think there’s a real market for high quality handmade or designed goods. We’ve opened up this space as a way to promote the work of local designers. The store was originally supposed to be a pop-up shop and just here for the festival, but we’ve decided to try and keep it going for the next few months if there’s an interest.’

And somehow, I think that there will be. There’s been quite a buzz on Edinburgh Twitter streams about the opening of both stores this month, which seems to show it’s something discerning shoppers have been wanting for a while now. And who wouldn’t want to get their hands on some lovely, individually designed goods? I’ll see you in the queue.