From the classroom to lingerie - meet the former teacher now running an independent boutique
Debbie Carvell spent two decades in education but a desire for a new direction saw her acquire a Shrewsbury retail institution and later revive the brand name
A desire to focus on helping women find the perfect underwear is what inspired former teacher Debbie Carvell to revive a lost name from Shrewsbury's high street.
The 65 year old relocated her women's fashion store, Carvèll on the Square, in September just a short hop to nearby 6 Market Street in the former home of Warhammer.
She has also refined the retail offer to concentrate on kitting out the county town's shoppers in well-fitting bras from brands such as Marie Jo, PrimaDonna and Lise Charmel among many others.
The business was rebranded Mystique as a homage to the former store of the same name housed in the 15th-century Abbot's House at 13 Butcher Row which Debbie used to own.
The 2026 version has four staff and mainly sells underwear alongside bikinis and some pre-loved formalwear items but it is the bras and fitting service where Debbie's passion lies.
The mum of three explains: "It's an experience to come here and be fitted and once we've fitted a lady and they've seen how good they look then you have them as a customer.
"You do need to be fitted personally and we have so many ladies come in complaining about bras they've bought online. There's comfort in that. I think we're a niche.
"Part of our bra fitting service is for customers who have had mastectomies and lumpectomies and we're accredited to do that."
Originally from Middlesex, Debbie relocated to Shropshire almost four decades ago for marriage. She has enjoyed a varied career by anyone's standards, having left school and trained to be a hairdresser "earning £14 a week".
After a few years in the industry, Debbie decided she fancied a change of direction so became a receptionist at a Volkswagen dealership before a spell as a full-time mum.
Unsure about what to do when she was ready to return to the world of work, she decided to visit her local Jobcentre and filled out a self-assessment questionnaire which concluded teaching would be the ideal career for her.
She attended night school in Telford to pass her A-levels and studied for a degree at University of Wolverhampton before beginning her working life as a primary school teacher at the age of 37.
It was in the education sector that she spent the lion's share of her career and worked at Captain Webb Primary School in Dawley and the independent Castle House in Newport, including passing her qualifications to become a head teacher.
But it was a frustration at the lack of opportunities for career progression that made her think again about her goals and ambitions.
She said: "I reached a point where I decided I had just had enough of teaching. My decision to leave the sector had a lot to do with the system and the workload.
"It was immense. I would go home with 90 books every night to mark. I studied art as part of my degree and have always been a very creative person.
"I could use my creative skills in my teaching but not as much as I wanted to, partly because I was teaching primary school children. There was only so much I could do."
The old Mystique was a bit of a Shrewsbury institution and was housed in the grade I-listed, Tudor townhouse in Butcher Row for 40 years.
It sold a wide variety of womenswear, lingerie and accessories and actually counted Debbie among its customers.
Mystique's previous owner Esther Ward-Clayton was Dutch and had made the decision to return to her native Netherlands after running the shop for three years.
Debbie said: "Running a business was something that I had always hankered after. When I was a hairdresser, I thought maybe I would have my own salon one day.
"I had come to a crossroads (with teaching) and thought that I wanted to do something else but what?
"Esther and I were talking and then it dawned on me that I would really love to have this business because it just ticked all of my boxes. The Mystique shop in Butcher Row was very quirky and just beautiful. It was just a lovely shop.
"From teaching to lingerie. Believe it or not there are a lot of transferable skills in that."
In late 2018, a deal was agreed for Debbie and her husband Paul to buy the shop which was funded through their own savings.
Debbie spent six months shadowing Esther, learning the ropes and the day-to-day mechanics of owning and running a shop.
She also attended courses to learn how to fit bras, including sports bras and women who have had mastectomies.
Esther finally left the business in April 2019 and Debbie later introduced Mystique's first-ever e-commerce website.
"On that first day when Esther wasn't there, the first customer came in for a bra and it fitted straight away and it was a real eureka moment for me," she remembers.
"I thought 'I can do this' and it has gone from strength to strength since.
"It was mainly just me on my own in the shop as the old Mystique was quite small so it could get lonely and it was very full on."
In 2022, Debbie and Paul bought a second independent boutique, Carol Grant, which was based at 13 The Square and known for its high-end ladies' fashion, stocking brands such as Stella McCartney and Alexander McQueen.
This was something Debbie was keen to address after her takeover as customers had told her they "didn't dare" come in due to its reputation for selling expensive items.
Both businesses were subsequently rebranded in 2023. Carol Grant became Carvèll on the Square while Mystique was renamed Carvèll Lingerie and Swimwear before it left its long-time home in Butcher Row in 2024 following the end of its lease.
Stock was transferred to the unit at Carvèll on the Square where the business remained until the move in September to its new location in Market Street and the Mystique name was resurrected.
So what does the future hold?
"The fashion retail industry is massively affected by online sellers but lingerie isn't. Shrewsbury is growing for the independent retail sector and the footfall we have here is very good.
"But opening a second shop? Possibly not. One is enough to keep us busy."
By Tamlyn Jones
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