Dakota Whitworth and Natalie Swift launched a boutique in Newport in 2017 that had what every woman wants in her clothing – something unique and beautiful, something no one else in her circle had.
Harper & Tucker LLC began as one location on Bellevue Avenue, and took off. The women opened a second boutique this year in the Wayland Square neighborhood of Providence.
The carefully curated items Harper & Tucker sells reflect the tastes of the owners. They knew when they started the business, in Dallas in 2016, what brands they wanted to feature.
The Newport style, traditional and a bit older, left room for their vision. In Dallas, the city was saturated with boutiques that would have made it difficult for them to sell the brands they wanted to feature.
On Bellevue, they found a retail opening that worked perfectly. The audience includes both young and older women, said Whitworth. “We don’t like to limit people by age. It’s all about what’s inside and how you want to manifest your own personality.”
The free-spirited styles they feature include light, floating maxi dresses, mini dresses and jumpers, as well as separates, accessories and jewelry. Brands include The Gentle Fawn, Blue Life and Cleobella.
The owners offer specialized services as well, including personal styling and private shopping events.
The business began in Dallas, where the two college friends found themselves after graduating from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. At the time, they were working for large firms.
Whitworth worked in the corporate headquarters of Neiman-Marcus. Swift worked in software sales.
They were happy enough but wanted more. “We were both successful in our careers but weren’t so excited about the next steps,” Whitworth said.
They brainstormed about opening a boutique but decided to launch online first. Harper & Tucker, the site, started in 2016, and the shipments and correspondence came out of Whitworth’s home for the first six months. When they moved into leased space, through a cooperative office in Dallas, they realized they might as well go to the original plan of a boutique.
In Newport, the hometown of Swift, the women found their location very quickly.
Newport had changed since Swift lived there, attracting more tourists from out of state and locations such as New York. The brands they sell and the items they curate have found an audience.
“When people are shopping in … Newport, they expect to have one-of-a-kind pieces and not crazy amounts of inventory,” Whitworth said. “It’s more specialized.”
Their expansion a few months ago into Providence followed a pop-up store experience at Legacy Place in Dedham, Mass., that taught them they could manage two locations simultaneously.
Now with three other employees, Harper & Tucker has a prominent storefront at 210 Wayland Ave.
“When something has been right, it’s just fallen into place for us,” Whitworth said.
OWNERS: Dakota Whitworth and Natalie Swift
TYPE OF BUSINESS: Clothing boutique
LOCATION: 190 Bellevue Ave., Newport and 210 Wayland Ave., Providence
EMPLOYEES: Five
YEAR ESTABLISHED: 2016
ANNUAL SALES: WND
Mary MacDonald is a PBN staff writer. Contact her at Macdonald@PBN.com.
