Women's clothing boutique
Holly Williams is a singer/songwriter and touring musician who lives with her husband Chris, daughter Stella June, and puppies Alfie & Oliver in Nashville, TN. She has released 3 critically-acclaimed albums, and also owns two of Nashville’s best retail spots, H. Audrey and White’s Mercantile. Both stores show off her “exquisite taste”, as described by gal pal and shopper Gwyneth Paltrow. One is arguably Nashville’s most favorited women’s clothing boutique, and the other is a completely curated general store stocked with her favorite items she’s found while spending much of her life on the highway playing music to adoring fans. She may be from a famous family (Country legend Hank Williams Jr. is her father), but don’t expect rhinestones and cowboy hats. Holly’s style embodies a modern-day chic simplicity fitted for shoppers from around the globe.
Her retail beginnings were never planned as music was always her focus, but in March 2006 Holly and her sister Hilary were in a serious car accident. Holly was left uncertain as to whether she would ever play the guitar again, and her sister had to face over 30 surgeries throughout the next years of her life. It’s truly a miracle they both survived. “I couldn’t leave Nashville and had to resort to a backup plan, in case I wasn’t able to tour again,” the now-33- year-old musician says. She had toured extensively throughout the US and Europe and had been taking plenty of notes on different designers she was discovering, prior to the accident. The life-changing event led Williams to open H. Audrey (named for her first initial and middle name after her grandmother Audrey, Hank Williams Sr’s wife) where clients like Sheryl Crow, Gwyneth Paltrow, Martina McBride, Taylor Swift, Nicole Kidman, Faith Hill and even Robert Plant have been known to shop!
Holly says "I believe in quality over quantity. I believe in investing in pieces you will love and cherish for years to come, instead of mindlessly dropping money on things that will not keep relevant through the seasons and time. Clothing has the ability to change the way you present yourself, if you feel great in what you’re wearing there is an irreplaceable confidence that permeates around you. I’ve seen it 1,000 times with customers. I love seeing their self-esteem shoot to the moon with that perfect fitting new wardrobe staple. My mission was to create a store where you could find all of your wardrobe essentials in one place. The perfect leather jacket, essential cashmere sweaters, cozy tees and lounge pants, statement necklaces, the must have black blazer, stylish denim, and plenty more”. She looked to best selling lines like Helmut Lang, Rag & Bone, Vince, IRO and Current/Elliott denim to fill her racks...
"Our motto is 'Fashions fade, style is eternal', spoken by the great Yves Saint Laurent who knew a thing or two about fashion. These words are above our dressing rooms to remind us all to keep searching for our unique, personal style that makes us feel the best about ourselves”, says Holly. Also, I have the greatest employees in the world who understand the H. Audrey aesthetic perfectly and work incredibly hard which allows me to work on my other passions".
Williams’ aesthetic resonates here. “It’s the most cutting edge of the Nashville shops,” says Paltrow. On your next visit to Nashville, make sure you make a point to visit this “top-shop” as voted by Elle magazine. USA Today writer Stacie Standifer says “Her impeccable, modern taste is always on point”. Come see for yourself why so many love H. Audrey! Don’t forget to visit her “general store for the modern day tastemaker” named White’s Mercantile after her maternal grandparents. Or shop online at whitesmercantile.com. Both stores are within a 10 minute drive of each other, happy shopping!
