For women who dream of opening their own boutique, what would be your top five pieces of advice?
1. Make sure this is the right time in your life, as this will become a major portion of it!
2. Try to discipline yourself to live a balanced life—making time for family, friends, healthy self-indulgences & pleasures, and rejuvenation.
3. Do your market research; be sure you know who your customer is.
4. Do your business plan and projections to be sure you are properly covered and financed for the good times and possible hard times.
5. On a daily basis, retail is filled with surprises and challenges, highs and lows. Sharpen your problem-solving skills and your ability to see from different perspectives. And, enjoy your successes!
“A pop of color brightens up everyday neutrals.”
What are the biggest fashion trends you’re into right now?
I love the mix of the new, rich colors for fall: burgundy and orange rusts, greens, and blues. Color has even carried over to outerwear for this season. We have a beautiful blue calf-length wool coat coming in from Celine that I will have a hard time not owning. I am also loving the skinny cropped pants paired with pointy toe heels—très chic!
The kitten heel has also become a more permanent part of the landscape, making some women very happy. Jeans are an essential part of a modern woman’s wardrobe—especially in California. We are excited about the different treatments we are bringing in this fall—from coating the jeans (to give them the look of leather), to patterned jeans, to some with very abstract, painterly effects.
A perfect fall look would be ombre jeans from Pierre Balmain, a silk Equipment shirt, gray studded booties from Angela Scott, the Celine blue wool coat, and a Givenchy grey sharkskin leather bag.
Who are your favorite designers?
Forgive me, as the list goes on and on….Givenchy, Stella McCartney, Celine, Chloé, The Row, Proenza Schouler, Yigal Azrouël, Veronica Beard, Denis Colomb, Lanvin, Kelly Wearstler, Philip Lim, and Acne (to name a few).
What’s next for your stores?
We’re very excited about the upcoming launch of our e-commerce site this fall, and are thrilled to open our doors to customers all over the world!
How do you sparkle?
Nothing makes me sparkle quite like a fabulous handbag. And, of course, being with my family.
“Our social media manager Samantha Hutchinson, wearing The Row and Celine.”
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