Salky-Johnson named her boutique to denote the dual desires of many female shoppers—the want for soft, girlish garb (pink), as well as vibrant, attention-grabbing “going-out” clothes (pepper).

When the first batch of dresses sold, she bought two more, then four more after that – little did she know that four years later her venture would be turning over more than £6m. Today Hall’s online ...