Ok, so I am going to try my hand at this. I'm writing this with the thought that no one will really read this or be interested and that might be the reason I am actually going forward with this. You see, my mom, the owner of Barracuda has challenged me. She seems to think I am good at everything, always encouraging me up to do creative things. I'm an artist, hair dresser and model slash buyer for the store. I love doing creative stuff but I never envisioned myself writing a blog…my mom believes in me, so here I go.
First, I love, love collaborating and buying for the store. My mom and I go to L.A. every couple months and usually spend about 12 hours shopping and then fly back the same day with 200 pounds of clothes (also, shipping some too). We spend the day walking around the San Pedro Fashion District picking out things we think would either be great as an 'immediate' which would be for this season and could go out on the floor right now, or we look for pre-orders which is usually for the upcoming season. So in Summer, we are usually already shopping for Winter. Which can be weird. But that’s where I spend a lot of my time. Figuring out what people will want to wear 6 months down the road.
I can always find that out by looking at celebrities…and high fashion. There are many trends that come and go every year, but it's part of my job to decide what's going out and what will be around for a while. Living in Colorado makes it trickier than if we were living East or West Coast because Colorado beats to it's own drum. This job has been a lot of trial and error. For example, buying on line is much different than buying in person which is much harder. My mom and I have learned many time; something might look cute, soft with the perfect fit in the pictures (aka line-sheets) but when it arrives, you can't move your arms because it's cut weird and it's sheer so you can see right through It and it itches. Upside? We learn from our mistakes and we continue to grow in this area. Downside? It's ours forever or until it sells. Trial and error. We also rely on our L.A. 'fashion scouts' to compliment this process. We connect with our team every week and talk about what's up and coming.
I have gotten a lot better at spotting when merchandise is being made to look better than it really is. Weather they are clipping it to make the fit better or they have put a slip under the dress to make it look lined. Details man…that’s what it comes down to.
It's been super hard to find great clothing wholesalers at our price point. THAT has been the most difficult thing. I mean, we are competing with prices of H&M & Forever 21 but strive for the quality of Urban Outfitters and American Eagle. Because we are 'boutique', we carry small, exclusive pieces which is good for our 'Babes' but we just can't get clothes in bulk like big box companies do and therefor, we can't get the prices they do. We have the same obstacles other family owned buisnesses do; particularly boutiques, IT'S HARD TO FIND NICE, CUTE CLOTHES and live out our motto that 'Beautiful Should Always Be Affordable'. We want moms with 5 kids to be able to afford shopping with us, we want the college student and the retired person. So, the challenge continues. It’s a fun challenge to be clear, but still a challenge none the less.
So, I invite you to come on this journey with me, to find the perfect clothes at the perfect price for you, our Barracuda Babes. I'm going to let you in on what I learn. What's coming into style, what's going out and what's here to stay. In the near future, I'll be posting some makeup videos, interesting articles and attachments that will keep you in the 'know'. Thanks for coming along for the ride. Stay tuned.
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