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Remember my super awesome scarf from Monday's post? It's from Kiki La' Rue and I am going to introduce you to the lady behind the shop: the fabulous Becka!
Q. What style of clothing will people find in your shop? When you're picking items for your shop, who do you envision wearing them?
A. The woman who wears Kiki La'Rue knows that the clothes don't wear HER, SHE wears the clothes. She is beautiful, confident and classy and our clothes help accentuate that!
Q. What inspired you to start Kiki La Rue?
A. I used to give away a lot of clothing. I like to shop. I like to make people happy. Giving away clothes allowed both. It also allowed my husband to nag and tell me I need to RECEIVE as much as I GAVE. So I decided to start a clothing company where I was paid to make people happy. And was still able to GIVE all I wanted! We have by far, more freebies and giveaways than any other boutique we have ever come across. We tithe 10%, donate 10% and give away 10%. No one ever became poor by giving!
Q. How did you learn the in's and out's of the clothing retail business?
A. Trial and Error. I never took a class. I didn't have an internship or mentor. I didn't research fashion merchandising. I hit the pavement with my heels on fire. I soaked up every bit of anything I could. People ask me every day for advice as to how they can become successful and this is all that I can say: Do it because you LOVE it and not because you HAVE to and you will succeed. I don't have to work. I want to. I don't have to have giveaways. I want to.
Q. How do you decide what items to sell in your shop?
A. I ONLY sell things I would wear. Everyone says not to shop for yourself but that's crap. I work my business as if you were buying from your best friend. I tell you what I think. What I like. What I'd wear. And if I hate it, I'll tell you that too. If my taste isn't yours, that's totally fine. But if it is, honey, you are going to be in heaven! When we go to market, I sit down and ask for the best sellers. They bring them and I have them set aside. I never even look at them. I want to make the beaten path and not follow it.
Q. I see so many bloggers wearing clothes from Kiki La Rue. How did you become the darling of the fashion blog world?
A. Awww thank you! Long before the store, I formed relationships with bloggers. Friendships. So naturally, when I began KLR, they wanted to promote it. I'm their friend. I do not work with every blogger who asks because I want to make relationships with people. Not just post my add all over your Google reader! I'm a blogger too so I know first hand how you can affect peoples lives with your words and your stories. I love that. And I'm thankful to be a part of it. (Even if I only manage one a month! haha! I'm going to get better!) But I LOVE to work with bloggers who want to get to know me, the store, etc. I think loyalty comes from relationships and in this business, you need loyal fans. We have the best in the world.
Q. Tell me a little bit about you. What are you doing when you're not managing Kiki La Rue?
A. I'm married with a young son and I love hanging out with them. We have friends over often. I love to shop. Whether for the store or myself. I love to eat. Obvi. Hahahah. I love to travel as long as I have wifi at all times. And I love to think. Read. Expand my brain. I'm like a really hot nerd. hahaha. So is my husband.
Q. Any advice to ladies thinking of starting their own business?
A. Be original. Nothing is tackier than a copy. Be honest. We have had shops steal our pictures, bloggers want to partner with us and then copy exactly what we were doing (never mentioning that before we partnered)... And it's just tacky. Worst of all, it gets them bad press. We have clients all over the globe who email and spot our model on some other site or say "Did you host a giveaway with XXX and now she is selling the same necklaces??" There is always a way to make something "yours". To come up with an original idea to promote the same thing. But copying someone else will just put a bad taste in your fans mouths. Just keep it real. I do. And finally, don't give up. If you really want to do something, you’ll find a way. If you don’t, you’ll find an excuse.
Q. Who are your style icons?
A. I LOVE Tory Burch. She is classy and gorgeous and her pieces are modest yet so pretty and girly at the same time. I love Kourtney Kardashian. And Olivia Palermo. They have amazing taste and I'd love to raid their closets. And their clothes tend to leave something to the imagination without putting their goods on display all of the time.
Q. What are some of your favorite pieces in your shop right now?
A. Our Spring Line is un-freakin-real. We went with a better quality designer and boy, was it worth it! The clothes are made better, stronger, deeper colors. And the crazy thing is, we sold great clothes before. So all of our clients are going to d.i.e in excitement!! Honest to God, every time we get a new box, we are stripping off our clothes to try it all on on the spot! Another thing I'm excited about is finding pieces in S-L that are also available in Plus sizes. As an XL girl myself, I want to wear cute pieces while I'm transitioning as well. And quite frankly even when I'm not. You KNOW you chose great clothes when the staff are spending their pay checks in your store!!
