The story behind the Glasgow shop that's sold a dress to Indiana Jones

Frida and Coco was opened on High Street in 2019 by Louise Lawn and brings together pre-loved, designer, vintage and brand-new clothing under one roof. 

Standing out with its Tiffany blue frontage and eye-catching window displays, the shop is a treasure trove for anyone looking for something "fabulous" and "unique" to wear.

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Louise said: "Some people come in and they’re gone within minutes, it’s not for them, but there are other people that love it.

"For me, I want it to be like you’ve stumbled into some woman’s dressing room and she’s letting you try on her clothes.

"It’s almost become a community-type vibe and it’s become a safe space for trans people, for people of all different genders, and apparently it has the nickname of ‘The Little Drag Queen Shop’ which I love."

Since opening, as well as dressing performers, radio hosts and TV presenters across Glasgow, she has sold items to film and TV costume departments including for Indiana Jones and the BBC'S Everything I Know About Love. 

"The very first item that sold to a costume department was a sequin jumpsuit by Free People," Louise explained. 

"A costume department in London got in touch with me, they had seen the jumpsuit on my Instagram and they always have to have two of the same item in case something goes wrong.

"So they got one from me for Everything I Know About Love and the main character, there’s a pivotal scene where she’s out and about glammed up for a night out and she’s wearing the epic jumpsuit."

She continued: "The other people that bought were from the Indiana Jones movie.

"It was a random Saturday and I was in the back shop and a lady started giving me orders, yelling instructions.

"They bought this 70s dress with a Tiffany blue swirl on the front.

"It was kind of a whirlwind."

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Louise, 47, says she was "buzzing" to see the sequin jumpsuit on screen when she watched Everything I Know About Love. 

"I watched it on my day off and I just thought ‘oh my god that was in my shop’ and it sounds silly but that was a real moment for me, that out of all the different places that something was mine," she said.

"I was buzzing, and part of me thinks I didn’t even go into the business thinking that would be possible and it makes me excited that that could become a thing or that I could look into contacting more costume departments."

She also says she will take "100% pride" if she spots the dress she sold to Indiana Jones when watching the film. 

The mother-of-two, who studied jewellery design and silversmithing at college, previously worked as an art teacher for 12 years but found she had become exhausted with the profession.

When she was 40, Louise sadly lost a baby which led to her taking a year off work and undertaking counselling where she was encouraged to do creative things. 

She took part in a few jewellery-making classes but during that time she also re-evaluated her entire life. 

"After you’ve been through such a horrible thing, you know you’re a mum, you’ve got to be strong, but you know you’ve got to be happy and I kept thinking what do I love apart from art? Fashion.

"I’ve always loved clothes, I’ve always had a good eye for nice things and would get compliments when I went on nights out if I was wearing an unusual neckpiece or something different.

"That was my hobby, I collected clothes, so if someone was going to an event or a wedding in the family they would come to me, they would borrow the whole outfit."

Louise says she was inspired to open her own shop after her husband joked she should sell her own clothes. 

She sorted through her own wardrobe and found 300 items she could sell and told her husband "I think I’m going to open a little shop".

The shop is named after the two cats Louise got after she lost her baby. 

They were named after Frida Kahlo and Coco Chanel, "two strong iconic women".

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Unfortunately, less than a year after opening in March 2020, the shop was forced to temporarily close its doors as a result of the Covid-19 lockdown. 

Louise, who lives in Tradeston, says she was "devastated" as she didn't believe she would be able to reopen, but she used lockdown to bring in some different pieces which went down well with customers when restrictions were lifted. 

She explained: "During lockdown is when the sequins came.

"When people did start to go out again it did start to pick up and people said 'when people do start to celebrate, they will come to you'."

While Louise says she has had a difficult start to Frida and Coco between Covid-19, the cost-of-living crisis and Scottish Water works taking place outside her shop which has affected footfall, she is still looking to the future. 

"I would like to sell some more things to costume departments for sure," she said. 

"And I would like to put on my own fashion show at some point because I do have a lot of unusual pieces that would look good on the runway.

"My goals are just to grow and I think there seems to be a need and a want for men’s vintage shops which are quite diverse and unusual.

"We’ve also been getting more and more calls for unique bridal wear.

"I’ve helped about six or seven brides and eventually I’d like to have Frida and Coco Bridal, even if it’s a rail or two because a lot more brides are looking for sustainable fashion and unique dresses."

Frida and Coco is located at 262 High Street, Glasgow.