Behind a secret door in Surfers Paradise’s iconic Condom Kingdom waits a shopping experience like no other. The brainchild of sisters Charlotte and Mollie O’Sullivan, Hall of Harper is on a mission to make sex cool again.
We were lucky enough to catch up with Mollie ahead of Hall of Harper’s recent launch event, to talk sex, sexuality and why we need to think differently about both of them.
What was the inspiration behind Hall of Harper? Why did you feel driven to make a business like this?
We’ve been watching the industry for a long time – we knew it would be the next space to grow. Everyone has sex, but it’s traditionally been sheltered behind a funny little group. Charlotte and I would always wonder when we’d start having more conversations about it.
So, how long was Hall of Harper in the works?
Probably like five years. We’d both been doing a lot of research – I even bought a big scientific journal about the sexual health and wellness industry. We knew it was really just a matter of finding the right time to go for it.
And how did you know the timing was right?
A pivotal moment for us was the ‘Sex, Love and Goop’ TV series. It was the first time a female orgasm was shown live on TV, and we realised the timing was right, culturally. We wanted to start a new conversation around sexual wellbeing – one that got away from the dingy, fluorescent lights.
TikTok has actually been amazing. It’s very PG-friendly so you need to use these weird words – like ‘seggs’ instead of ‘sex’ – to get around the censorship. But even so, there are amazing creators who talk about things you’ve probably never heard of, and they have, like, two million followers.
It’s been incredible. The more I learn, the more I realise that everyone has such a different experience. It’s a huge, rich conversation.