Meet the Proprietor – Julie & Ian Clarke

18th October 2025 | Business

Last month we spoke to Jill Vickers about her award-winning butcher’s business, Bridge 67. This month we venture literally next door to speak to husband-and-wife team, Ian and Julie Clarke about their hairdressing business, ‘Julians’.

Julians

It feels like ‘Julians ‘ has been part of Kibworth High Street for years. In fact back in 1994 it was just Julie’s concern as she was a hairdresser whilst Ian was working as an estate agent! The business was then based at 52 High Street which is where pet owners now come to have their pet’s hair titivated! Ian joined Julie in February 1995 after he trained to be a hairdresser by attending night school classes at a local college.
Ian and Julie got married in 1996 and they have two daughters, Natalie and Amy. The family is particularly proud to be part of Kibworth’s wider community

Julians team includes Helen, who joined back in 1996. Glynis, who previously had worked at The Lantern (a hairdressers which was opposite The Swan) for 25 years and now trims at Julians, totalling over 50 years in Kibworth. Natalie, their daughter; Claire; Joanne; Kim; Jenny; Lois; Julie and Ian, and Isaac, Jack and Jamie. Together, they bring over 180 years of expertise and talent.

In 2015-2016, ‘Julian’s’ won Leicester Salon of the Year!

Looking Forward

As for the future, Julie and Ian hope to managing people’s hair for years to come. However, Natalie also hopes she can take over when Julie and Ian put away their scissors.

I have been informed that ‘Julians’ is currently having a small makeover but will keep to the products they rely on, these being Paul Mitchell, ghd and Wella.

A long time ago, before their daughters were born, they dreamed of opening a second salon. (against their solicitor’s advice). Julie was expecting, and Ian was just getting his feet on the ground. So the second business didn’t last too long and had to close. Like many small businesses, they have faced tough times, even getting close to bankruptcy. Thankfully, that was a past experience! Now, they have a thriving business and a team that is super dedicated.

When asked for advice for any young entrepreneurs, Ian says you should be ready to put in the hard work, be extra honest with yourself and others. There will be tough times, but also lots of happy moments. At Julian’s, Ian emphasises that there’s no boss or manager. Just a team of people who love to work together but also have families. The recent Covid-19 pandemic really showed us how important it is to work as a team supporting one another.

Finally, Ian and Julie also believe in giving back to the community. They’ve have trained many stylists over the years. Some of them have gone on to open their own salons and they are still training stylists today.

Cut!