Sparkle O’Hara

4 Queen’s Parade, Walm Lane, NW2 5HT

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“We absolutely love the idea of these festive lights for Queen’s Parade and the area. We have all tried for many years to find a way to light up and add a little sparkle to our own magical corner of High Road and Walm Lane. Colourful festive lights, create such a great attraction and make it feel so special. Thank you Willesden Green Town Team for this initiative. Good luck with the fundraising, we are right behind you”.

Fiona Ainslie, Owner, Sparkle O’Hara

SPARKLE O’HARA is an award-winning dress shop in Willesden Green: “treasure trove”; “hidden gem”; “wonderland”; “fairy-tale” are just some of the words used by their customers. Their vintage and new vintage-inspired dresses are made “in sumptuous fabrics with exquisite embroidery and beading”. Owner, Fiona Ainsley, personally sources and selects this huge collection of spectacular dresses, from around the world, with an emphasis on glamorous pieces in a variety of styles and colours to suit all tastes.

Sparkle O’Hara occupies one of the units at Queen’s Parade, Willesden Green’s proudly ‘meanwhile’ space of attractive multicoloured pop up shops on the corner of Walm Lane and Willesden High Road. Although hardly a pop-up shop, having occupied her beloved unit for eight years, Fiona says she is proud of the parade and their central position in Willesden Green.

After trading in Portobello Road for 14 years each weekend, it was Covid, sky-rocketing rent there and her Willesden Green customers wanting her to open on the weekend, that prompted Fiona to start opening in Willesden Green full time, 8 years ago. “I love my unit in Willesden Green. I have lots of local customers from the area but there has been a distinct increase in those from further afield which is really exciting. We are so blessed to be a 3-minute walk from the Jubilee Line, Zone 2 tube station, Willesden Green – this makes us so central and easy to access. I have customers from all over London, East London, Shoreditch and now I can say Los Angeles!”

Fiona tells us that word of mouth and now social media are her primary sources of new customers. She recently received 250k hits when a recent TikTok-er, thrilled at her find of “heavenly frocks”, recorded a film of her trying on many dresses.

Fiona told us this lovely story. “Although I operate on a strict appointment-only basis, whilst waiting for a customer one day a lady dropped in with an interesting story. She had travelled all the way from Rome where she had been searching for a special outfit for a 3-day wedding she was attending in Lake Como. She showed me a picture of a dress I was selling from 5 years previously and by absolute coincidence I had, the week before, located it in the shop. She was so thrilled when I was able to present it and in another touch of serendipity it was the perfect fit. In sheer excitement she face-timed her mother who herself saw a dress she loved – and so the customer ended up purchasing another three. Fiona learned the lady was a film producer from Los Angeles but also confided in us that celebrities, stylists and singers visit her regularly for the unique and spectacular gowns and outfits that they can find there.

Sparkle O’Hara also have in stock around seven dresses from the cult celebrity brand Catwalk Collection. Characterised by beautiful corsetry and shaping, Catwalk Couture dresses are highly sought after and can retail and resell for over £1000.00. Head over to Sparkle O’Hara to take a look at the glittering array of rare and beautiful dresses.