L'Colette Boutique: The Entrepreneurial Story of Building A Fashion Boutique

The following article is from College Magazine, written by Ashley E. Nolan, a student at Maryland University, and syndicated here with permission from the magazine. 

Style in the City: Colette Young

Perched high above New York City in her studio apartment near Penn Station, Colette Young snacks on baked chicken and balsamic sautéed Portobello mushrooms, leftovers from the night before. Just beyond her left shoulder, a mannequin is dressed impeccably in a black and gold shift dress, complemented by a chic black hat a la Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Colette opts for a more comfortable outfit, wearing a gray tank top, her sleek brown hair in a bun.

With a resume that includes co-founding a contemporary women’s boutique in her hometown of Tulsa, Oklahoma, meeting with manufacturers in Korea and designers in Paris and attending cocktail parties at the gossip-worthy Beverly Hills, you might think Colette has been a fixture on the high-end fashion scene for decades. In fact, she is just 18 years old, a budding freshman at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City.

“My mindset isn’t that of an 18-year-old,” she said laughing. “It’s 30.”

Meet L’Colette      

The transformation began when Colette was only 14 years old, as a lack of high-end retail in Tulsa and the city’s relative isolation left Colette and her mother Chae fashion-starved. “We have a mall and a Saks Fifth Avenue, but why would you want to go there?” Colette said. “Everyone has the same thing.” In 2004, Chae secured a business loan and the pair jointly opened L’Colette Boutique, challenging the fashion landscape of Midwestern Tulsa.

The clothing at L’Colette caters to a score of personalities ranging from “Business Savvy” to “Hippie Chic” to “Romantic Garden,” according to the boutique's website, all ranging in price from $40 to $300. Keeping with their creed of individuality and uniqueness, only one or two of each size and style are available at a time. For the fashion illiterate…a translation: Business Savvy: geared toward the working client, think slim pencil skirts, soft cashmere cardigans and business suits. Hippie Chic: just another name for linens, floral prints and eco-friendly products. Romantic Garden: chic, girly look, usually trimmed with ruffles and lace. 

The Youngs have built the boutique from the ground up: cleaning, buying inventory, and staying up late in the stockroom to create visuals, refine the mannequins’ dress and adjust the décor. Colette calls the boutique their “baby.” Though the recent economic downturn has been challenging, Colette says that business has remained steady—L’Colette has over 15,000 clients in its database and plans to launch Online this year. “My mom always says that the sky is the limit and to follow my dreams,” Colette said. “Go wherever you need to go to follow them.”

Chae, a native of Korea and an NYC runway model in the 1970s, has used her knowledge of the language to work directly with Korean-based manufacturers, giving L’Colette an edge on its competition. Her daughter has taken a similarly international approach to life, as she also speaks Korean. Already, various business opportunities have taken Colette and Chae to Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, London, Paris and, of course, Korea.

Work and Play in NYC

Most recently, they’ve taken her to Chelsea and the Fashion Institute of Technology. “It’s really hard to be under 21 in the city, but there are so many other things to see,” Colette said. An active yoga and pointe ballet student, a lover of the Dvorak Symphony Orchestra (the DSO, if you’re cool enough), and a fan of dog walking with girlfriends in artsy Gramercy Park and SoHo, Colette’s interests extend well beyond fashion. In fact, she called a recent DSO performance she attended with her brother one of the best nights of her life.

On Friday evenings, she likes to peruse Artslant.com for information on upcoming contemporary gallery shows and exhibitions, which have featured modern masters Andy Warhol, Alec Soth and Judith Miller. And forget browsing Blockbuster; Colette likes to see which films are playing at SoHo’s nearly 20-year-old Angelika Film Center, which shows a mixed collection of indie films and popular new releases.

Exploring small antique shops on the Lower East Side (LES) for “hidden vintage treasures” is yet another one of Colette’s pastimes. To catch up with friends and clients, she’ll often spend afternoons in some of New York’s swankiest landmark hotel lounges, such as The Mercer Hotel in the heart of SoHo and Gramercy Park Hotel, where cocktails start at a staggering $19. From thrilling bargain hunts on the LES to top-notch leisure activities, she has the city etched in the palm of her hand.

But surprisingly, she’s not a big shopper. “It’s a hassle in New York,” she said, “because you’re fighting the crowds and the prices are outrageous.” On a recent SoHo trip, she spotted a sporty leather motorcycle jacket, but was shocked to see the $1,400 price tag. “We have practically the same thing in our store for about $200,” she explained. The jacket didn’t make it into her shopping bag.

When Colette does shop, she purchases from high-end designers like the Calvin Klein Collection and Max Azria, where she currently works as a stylist and PR ambassador. “Basically we throw parties to get people hyped about the clothes,” she said. At FIT, rather than pursue a degree in fashion design, Colette opted for the track of fashion merchandising management. FIT’s is the oldest and largest program of its kind in the nation.

“It doesn’t limit you to design. You can be a stylist, buyer, manufacturer, the list goes on,” Colette explained. She takes her studies seriously, but admits she’s “getting a degree to get a degree,” based on the advice of her mentor, the late Andrew McKelvey, founder and former Chairman and CEO of the company that owned Monster.com, whom she met after earning a $40,000 Entrepreneurial Scholarship sponsored by McKelvey’s foundation. “Andy had a 2.0 in college,” Colette said of her late mentor. “He told me to never let school interfere.”

Fending off the real-life Gossip Girls

Along with Colette’s myriad accomplishments, jealousy and gossip have quickly followed. “Once I say that I work in a boutique with my mom at home, someone will ask what it’s called,” she said. “The name L’Colette pretty much gives it away.” Anonymous tipsters even bash her on gossip websites.

Colette seems unrattled by the negativity, declining to discuss it at all. “Everyone hates me,” she said laughing, her Midwestern accent making a rare appearance.

She doesn’t even stress over what you might think would be her biggest concern, her clothes—and this from a girl who says she used to wear high heels every day in high school. “My day is so crammed, so it’s a waste of time to spend that much time in the bathroom,” Colette said. Riding boots paired with leggings or velour pants from L’Colette punctuate her classic, comfortable on-campus style.

Colette credits her Catholic values with teaching her to ignore naysayers. “Do unto others as you’ve had them do unto you,” she said. “I’m a Christian and I’m proud of what my mom and I have accomplished.”

The Future of L’Colette

Don’t let the designer wardrobe and enviable after-school job at Max Azria fool you—the weight of her considerable success has not left her jaded just yet.

Colette is an aspiring humanitarian. Follow-ing a career in retail, she hopes to open a nonprofit organization to benefit the needy children of third world nations, but has yet to narrow her sights on a particular country or region. “A lot of people give money and I want to give money, but also make change,” she said. “They need to be more productive and build infrastructure.”

As this fresh New Yorker learns to navigate her way in an unforgiving urban landscape, she seems prepared for anything. "I'm hungry, I'm ambitious—this is just how I am,” she said.