Partner Spotlight: a paid placement by a neighborhood business, not editorial coverage.
Two friends kept failing to find clothes they loved at the boutiques they shopped. So they opened one.
Aviara & Co started with a conversation one night at Leann Coleman-Waters' house. She and her friend Kim were talking about what would really make them happy, and a women's clothing boutique came to mind right away.
"We were always struggling to find items that we loved at the boutiques we would go to," Leann says. "So we decided, why not fill that space?"
Writing in August, she said the boutique had come together a little over four months after that night. It sells online and through pop-ups, and it plans to be at events at Ballantyne Country Club. For those events, Leann says, the store curates pieces that will not be sold online or at its other pop-ups. Club members can also book exclusive styling appointments and get free local delivery to the club, so they never pay for shipping.
The two have been friends for more than 15 years. Kim, Aviara's co-founder and CEO, has a passion for fashion and retail. Leann's background is in operational efficiency and helping small businesses grow.
"We are known for our feminine, modern, yet timeless, clothes," Leann says. The store buys from a mix of vendors and tries to work with ones that have sustainable practices. One line she calls a staple is made in the USA, designed by women and owned by women.
Soon after the store launched online, a customer called her. "I feel seen," the customer said. "I want everything in your store."
Leann grew up in Hampton, Virginia, near Virginia Beach, in a military area where friends moved often and she got used to making new ones. While she was still in college, a job offer came from Charlotte, a city she had never heard of. She moved here with her senior year still ahead of her, knowing no one, and finished her bachelor's degree online the following year. This September marked 18 years in Charlotte.
Her advice for shoppers is to be intentional. Ask what a piece will do in your wardrobe, whether it is versatile or meant for a special event, how often you will wear it and how many ways. Both kinds of pieces, she says, are great options.
Aviara & Co · Women's clothing boutique, online and at pop-ups · hello@aviaraandco.com · (803) 620-3983 · aviaraandco.com · Instagram @aviara_and_co · See their partner profile
This Partner Spotlight is drawn from Leann Coleman-Waters' own account.
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