| Written by Amy Storer-Scalia, on 12-05-2008 11:46 |
Chic Spotlight: The Wardrobe Boutique Owner, Lesley Hern
Drawing experience and inspiration from New York City, Lesley Hern is about to open the doors to a new boutique that will open new possibilities for women looking for one-of-a-kind pieces.
Cincy Chic: What's the concept of your boutique?
Lesley Hern: The Wardrobe has a unique offering carrying lines with a distinctive blend of
International and updated traditional designers. The Wardrobe’s focus
is luxury fashion with a chic style of casual, fun sophistication -
creating looks for the individual. The Wardrobe offers a full selection
of apparel, shoes, handbags and accessories with personal styling,
trunk shows and private appointments.
Cincy Chic: What's different about it?
Hern: The Wardrobe offers exclusive items to clients. We will only
sell one size of a style or one original piece, and once it is gone,
it's gone. We know that clients shop at boutiques to find that special
one-of-a-kind item that no one else will have, and we want to cater to
that. The focus of The Wardrobe is top-notch customer service. The
Wardrobe will tailor all purchased clothing free of charge. If the
store hours do not suit a client’s need, private in-store and at-home
appointments can be scheduled. Special delivery is always a must for
those crucial times, and rewarding clients is a top priority. If a
client needs further assistance with personal styling beyond what can
be done in the store, then we will send a Wardrobe Therapy personal
styling guru to assist for any event.
Cincy Chic: Where is/will it be located?
Hern: The Wardrobe will open with a preview store on May 19. Store
hours are Monday-Saturday 10-6pm. The preview store will be at 6910
Miami Avenue in Madeira. The preview store will be a showcase of what
the store will be offering. Then, in early June, we will have our grand
opening party to launch our permanent store location. That space is
currently still undergoing renovations, and is located next door to the
preview store at 6904 Miami Avenue (on the corner of Camargo and Miami)
in the new Hampton Square building.
Cincy Chic: How did you find yourself here in your career?
Hern: I moved from New York City to Cincinnati seven years ago. I was
contemplating staying in NYC, but had been there for a while and wanted
to come home to be near friends and family. I am from northern Ohio,
but my now husband (then boyfriend) was from Cincinnati. I decided to
come here instead of going home to try something new. I loved
Cincinnati right away. It has such charm and appeal. It's a perfect
small town dressed as a big city. It felt like home immediately.
Luckily, I was able to work for Ralph Lauren and travel back and forth
from NYC and Dallas to Cincinnati. It was tough, but it kept me in the
fashion industry while I was here.
Cincy Chic: Was it difficult to start your own boutique? Any advice to any other aspiring entrepreneurs out there?
Hern: I think anything that's hard in life is always worth striving
for. I wouldn't say opening your own boutique is easy by any means, but
since I have always dreamed of doing it, that has made the hard parts a
lot more bearable. My initial advice is to first make it your own
concept and stick to it. I think that really helps make everything fall
in to place. I  have had some amazing mentors through the process. My
good friend Ivy Pitzer, who owns her own boutique in Pleasant Ridge, Plum Diore, has been instrumental in
pushing me along and consulting me through a lot of things. I am very
thankful for the help I received every step of the way. I feel very
blessed to have been surrounded by such amazing people, and I could
only hope to help someone through this process myself one day.
Cincy Chic: Have you always had a passion for fashion?
Hern: I have always had a passion for this business. Fashion is a
passion, but the business of fashion as a whole has always been
appealing and became even more so when I lived in NYC. I have such a
respect for the people in this industry, maybe partly because they
demand it, but then mostly because of how rigorous and fast-paced it
is. It's like an adrenaline rush and you really get sucked in to it —
at least that's the way it has been for me. I have been very privileged
to work under some amazing fashion icons. Some of the most influential
people from my career have been Patricia Fields, Simon Doonan and Ralph
Lauren. They have all influenced me and inspired me in different ways
through either working one-on-one with them or watching them work.
Cincy Chic: What's your favorite item in your store right now?
Hern: I think for now I will go with the high-waisted denim skirt by
Munchu's. Like 3.1 Phillip Lim, an Asian designer who is really making
a statement in the industry. She designs with luxurious fabrics and
one-of-a-kind face prints. I'm sure you've seen that the face print is
a trend that is very high-end designer chic right now. It has been
popping up in Prada, Givenchy and Yves Saint-Laurent. I am almost eight
months pregnant, so I have no waist. I have to say, I am very sad about
not getting to take part in the fabulous high-waisted looks this
season. They are so flattering!
Cincy Chic: What's your favorite fashion trend right now?
Hern: My favorite trend would be a toss-up between the gladiator
style sandals that are so hot this season and then more recently the
Greek goddess dresses. Dresses in general with bright colors and
florals are fantastic, but I really love the long maxi dresses that are
flowy with the Grecian draping.
Cincy Chic: What's your favorite thing about Cincinnati?
Hern: The restaurants. And no, I'm not just saying that because I'm
pregnant and love food more now than ever! I just think Cincinnati has
so many amazing, family-owned choices with endless cuisines to choose
from. Some favorites of mine are Jean Ro Bistro, The Precinct, Greenup
Cafe, Grand Finale and Nada.
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