I recently had the opportunity to sit down and interview Anita Lopez owner of Relevant Style Boutique. Relevant Style boutique is an upscale retail boutique; Relevant Style specializes in women’s clothing, jewelry, handbags and accessories. They buy, sell, trade and carry designer brands as well. I discovered the boutique while out with my mother for a mother/daughter manicure date. I am so glad I stumbled upon this boutique; it’s the kind of place you just have to share with your girlfriends. So I am so excited to share this “gem” with you’ll.
Three questions with Anita Lopez (Owner of Relevant Style)
1) In the fashion industry there’s meaning behind a name? What is the meaning behind the name Relevant Style?
AL: I picked Relevant Style, because this is a resell boutique. A lot of times when people think of a resell they think of something old. Relevant means: Right now and Style is when you mix various forms of fashion together. I love styling. Style is not gender specific. So that’s how I came up with the name. I wanted the boutique store to exude something clean, fresh, and new. Even though the items are pre-loved and some items maybe older, you can wear them today and still be in style.
2) My readers and I love fashion and experimenting with style. What motivated you to move beyond simply being a lover of fashion to actually putting your dream into reality and opening up a boutique?
AL: Although I have a degree in Criminal Justice, Which is the furthest from Fashion. I have always had a part time job working in a retail environment, as time moved on I stopped working in the Criminal Justice Field. I decided to pursue Retail full time working at Banana Republic, My general manager and the visual merchandiser was my mentors. Together, they taught me everything about Retail like how to Forecast sells/trends, Visual Merchandising, and about Textures.
I have a five year old son and my weight would fluctuate I decided not to buy retail, because I never knew how long I would be in that size. So I found resell stores, which was perfect because I would take in clothes that I could no longer fit for something new. This was great for me, because working in retail we received 50% off clothing. And something that is old for me is new to someone else. Even though, it’s not really old. You are just tired of looking at it all the time.
When I was going to these resell stores, I began to ponder…I love working in retail. But I didn’t like being a sales associate. I preferred not going the corporate route. I noticed managers in corporate positions were under a lot of stress. I thought, “There must be a better way to have a really elegant store in Kansas City that was open and big without searching through 500 tops to find one that I liked.” A store that would have all of the quality pieces without worrying is there a stain here or a rip there and a zipper that’s broken. So I went to Chicago to research other stores, which gave me ideas for designing this space. I knew I could do this! I feel as if my love of shopping is now my job. It’s perfect! I admit there are down times and I don’t have anyone to talk too. But then people come in and I meet great people like you and others. And you never know when things are going to come up; I just keep focused by keeping dream alive. As people spread the news about the boutique I know I will gain more customers. I am being very patient.
Hopefully by next year, I will have people coming in the boutique to bring in items that I can purchase without doing much advertising. I am excited about being on 39th street; the stores here are very supportive of each other. If someone comes in and they are looking for something that’s vintage, I can refer them to another store like Donna’s Dress Shop. I try to help even if it doesn’t bring me business, because I know people appreciate it.
3) Why should people shop at Relevant Style?
AL: I think people should shop at here for the quality for the merchandise and the price points compared to the retailed price of the item. The open space, extra seating if you are shopping with your boyfriend or children (they can read a magazine or the children have an enough room to run around), the customer service that is shown, the extra effort I put into helping my customers. If the customer can’t find anything in clothing, I have accessories and jewelry that fits everyone.
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I’ve had customers to ask me to find items for them. For example: I had a woman who brought me shoes for this event and asked me if I could find something to go with them. So I found a pair of pants at Nordstrom’s and a shirt with a jacket from my store. I am willing to go that extra mile for my customers as well. I have not fully gotten into the styling part of my business quite yet. But if someone needs my services, I am always more than willing to assist.
So what are my take on Relevant Style, You ask?
Relevant Style is a clean, modern, and open store that houses luxury brands at affordable prices such as Trina Turk, Tory Burch, Coach, and Marc Jacobs just to name a few. During my recent trip to Relevant Style, I purchased six items and spent a little over $66.00. The clothing is clean, relevant to style, and you will want to literally purchase everything you see (you’ve been warned). The jewelry counter is amazing and so are the accessories. The boutique owner Anita is not only beautiful, but she is very friendly, loves to assistant her customers and will provide great suggestions on pairing items together. As you leave the boutique not only feeling great about your purchases, but I guarantee you come back to see what other gems you can find.
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When you visit Relevant Style and let them know FashionPlateKC sent you! Want to keep up with the latest on the boutique? Follow their Social Media outlets below.
Relevant Style is located at:
904 W. 39th St
Kansas City, MO 64111
816-210-2646
Store Hours: Tuesday-Saturday 11am- 6pm
