WORDS Anna Lowder PHOTOS Grace Photography
The shop is packed with boxes stacked waist high: tissue and packing lists trail from ripped packages while clothes racks and hangers slide feverishly across the showroom. Neither the owners nor the staff seem to mind. For that matter neither do the customers entrenched in the chaos, with good reason. This is the opening scene of Fall / Winter 2013 at hue studio. That’s right, it’s time to shop.
Not familiar with hue studio? Then it’s probably time for a makeover. Hue studio is the headquarters for style and fashion in Montgomery, with looks straight from New York and Los Angeles but curated for the modern, local maven. It’s everything a shop should be: locally-owned, independent, innovative, and supportive of its city. Moreover, it’s run by three sharp-witted and no-nonsense women, making it all the better.
This
month, it unveils its huetopia Fall 2013, a semi-annual runway-meets
social event of the season, at The A&P. Bigger and badder than ever,
this year brings New York City’s fashion gurus to Montgomery, a runway
erected in the street, and an extra VIP Party. Let’s dig in...
Owners
Heather Steen, Stephanie Brown and Edna Steen are as varied as the
offerings of hue studio. With backgrounds ranging from finance to
interior design and a span of thirty years between them, this crew is a
balance of creativity, sensibility, and determination. Connected as both
family (marriage and birth) and as friends, they play off each others
strengths. Stephanie is the “all things financial” gal and keeps the
lights on and bills paid; Edna has a warmth with customers and keeps the
place organized and running smoothly; Heather (the “Yankee turned
Southerner” by way of South Florida and NYC) has the passion for “all
things design.” We talked shop one summer afternoon.
How did the
idea of opening an independently-owned women’s boutique in Montgomery,
Alabama come about? When Heather moved to Montgomery, we were all
talking and came to find each of us had a vision for a retail store we
dreamed of opening. We decided to join forces and open a new concept to
Montgomery: a “lifestyle store.” We noticed all of the Montgomery stores
had the same feel, look, and sometimes products. Traditional design
and objects were king, we just thought there was a bigger story to tell.
We opened with a modern store design and with edgy products to
shake it up. We found that most of our customers who initially “got it”
were military or well-traveled and were excited that we offered
something different. Over seven years, our modern lifestyle concept has
gained a great following and we’ve been there to teach and fuel its
fire.
It couldn’t have been easy for a group of professional
females to open an independent fashion boutique in Montgomery. Tell us
some of the obstacles you faced early on. One of our obstacles was also
our biggest asset: none of us had ever owned a store, bought for retail,
or had our own business. We made mistakes along the way - but not
knowing what we were in for, or what the rules were, allowed us to do
things our way. We’re not so sure we would have made some of the
decisions that created who we are today if we had been groomed in the
business prior to opening.
So that’s one. Anything else? The 2007
economic downturn, scarcely a year after we opened. That was definitely
our biggest obstacle - one that we still feel the effects of today. We
had projections from our amazing first year, and when everyone stopped
spending, it was a big shock. We had to look carefully at everything,
throw out what didn’t work, and lean on the things that did. We
re-wrote our program, and from that moment we never held on too tightly
to what we thought we were supposed to be. We listened to what our
customers needed us to be.”
You have the most successful,
highest profile womenswear store in the region. You are sought after and
respected today. As women in a male-dominated entrepreneurial role, was
this always the case? We were told more than once that our idea would
not work: our name didn’t make sense, or we were “doing it all wrong.”
Each time we heard that we would do a few things: laugh, shake our
heads, look closer to give more thought, and then press on full steam
ahead. We didn’t fit a mold, and for that we had to have tough skin.
It’s
funny now that we think about it, most of the people we work with are
women. We have a team we generally go to for banking, photography,
graphic design and more, who loved our concept and store and none of
them happened to be men. We’ve worked hard for our current status and
know we have to continue to create, develop and grow to keep things at
this level.
You individually juggle career, family life,
personal time - it’s a full schedule. How do you each organize and
prioritize it all? We are still learning day by day how to make it
work. Since opening, we’ve added five children to the mix. There is
always a constant shift of kids from one owner to another to help get
tasks completed. Edna is a grandmother to two of the children and a
great aunt to the other three. They’re all cousins that function more
like brothers and sisters and we wouldn’t have it any other way!
Our
staff is essential too - it’s all hands on deck and no one is too big
or small to take on a task. Personal, family, career - lives tend to
all mesh together so it’s hard to even separate them anymore. We just
put our heads down and plow through. Sometimes it proves to be harder
than we ever thought but we do it together and have a great time with
each other in the process.
You’ve expanded and adapted the
offerings at hue studio over the years. Talk us through how you have
adapted to meet the needs of the local market and changes in the
economy. When we first opened we were a little bit of everything. This
worked for the first year until the market sunk and people had to focus
on what they needed rather than wanted. We were labeled “expensive” and
that didn’t sit well with us. We weren’t looking to own a store that
catered to one type of person… this was for everyone. It took years to
debunk that first impression and sometimes we still fight it today.
We
narrowed down our list of what we offered and became the experts on
just that. Women still wanted to look fabulous, so we brought in
well-priced lines that met the quality and design standards we were
known for, and only kept the best of the best at the higher end.
Through the years we have added and dropped lines but one thing remains:
you can get a variety of styles, sizes, and price points when you shop
with us. Now that things are on the upswing we have started to add back
some of the higher end and special occasion brands but we will always
continue to look for those great deal brands that service a large
portion of our customer base.
You relocated to Old Cloverdale
last year. Why did you choose to move to an older, neighborhood setting?
When we first opened, we had an idea of what we wanted to be and how we
wanted to function. We didn’t quite get everything on that list in our
first location. Our visibility wasn’t perfect, which didn’t help with
traffic, and the one thing we really pined for was a sense of
community. Lifestyle centers, interstates, national chains: all are
missing that connectivity with a community. They just lack heart.
Cloverdale,
and specifically The A&P, provided a place where we could
collaborate with similar businesses and gave us an audience that cared
if we were successful. Our fashion show, huetopia, is a big tell for
this. People want to be a part of this, whether as a retailer or a
customer, and everyone wants to contribute to its success. We feel like
we are at home now and we love that we can be a part of something
bigger than just our store!
Who is your target customer today?
The majority of our business is women aged 25-45. But this is not our
only target. Our target is anyone who wants something different,
something that you won’t see everywhere, something that you make your
own. We truly have all age groups that shop with us.
What sets hue studio apart in Montgomery?
We
sell a lifestyle, not just products. We strive to keep brand
exclusivity and when we can, we buy local. Most of our jewelry is made
by local artisans, either as one-of-a kind or made in small quantities.
We’ve had trunk shows with Susan Starr, Anchor and Daisy, Catherine
Brawner, and we carry our very own Jenny Johnson Lockhart’s collection
in the store.
Tell us some of the new offerings and products
this season at hue studio. Our biggest adventure this season is our new
website (www.avibrantlifestyle.com). With our current work load we
can’t offer another store, but what we can do is bring hue studio to the
masses via the internet. So for all of our “out-of-towners” that visit
here and there, you will be able to shop with us on a regular basis!
What’s
your advice to younger entrepreneurs looking to do a start-up in
Montgomery or a town similar? Know what you want and go for it. People
will tell you no (A LOT) but it’s your choice to either listen and quit,
or press forward and find a way. Owning your own business is not for
someone that wants it easy, or isn’t willing to go that extra mile. If
you want a 9-5, we recommend you be employed rather than be an
employer! Also, read up and be prepared. Learning things the hard way
is always a lasting lesson, but if you are informed about what you’re
doing, those lessons come at a lessor price.
What’s next for
hue studio? Our next adventure is SHOES! We’ve started with a small
offering of five pair and will add 13 more over the next few months.
Our goal is to expand our shoes in the rear of the store and have it as
“(S)hue Studio” within a season or two. So watch out for our Fall (S)hue
Collection!
And now, on with the show: Let's Talk huetopia Fall 2013
huetopia
is bigger and badder than ever this season. What’s in store for
us September 13th? A true catwalk this season with national brands at
the helm including J Brand Jeans and Cinda b. We have the collaboration
of our favorite Montgomery retailers: it’s the best line-up we have
ever produced. We are a little scared as to how we will top this one!
Gorgeous
ladies, high fashion, flash bulbs and cocktails? Done. Throw in a VIP
Party to start it off and we’re definitely in. Give us the details.
6pm: VIP Party at True to start the night off right! A red carpet welcome leads you to cocktails and appetizers and a chance to meet Cinda and Oscar! Each VIP will get a gift bag filled with coupons, treats and Cinda has a special surprise for the attendees in each bag! This will kick off the night and get everyone prepped for the runway. Tickets are $20 and available at True.
6pm: Didn’t get a ticket in time? We have Pop-Up Shops on Graham Street that will sell great accessories and much more prior to, during and after the event. We have partnered with local brands Matter, Anchor and Daisy, Catherine Brawner, Capital City Challenge, Southern Posies, Wrap and Wellness, Amanda Roberson Art, Jamie Mitchell Art, Parish, Ex Voto Vintage, Holland Williams Photography and Grace Photography Studio to get you started on this Fall’s essential looks.
7:30pm: Our emcees take the stage to show you this season’s must haves for Men (The Locker Room), Women (hue studio), Lounge Wear (Christine’s Feathered Nest) and Athletic Wear (Pure Barre), while showcasing Hair & Makeup trends provided by Doug’s 2 Salon and L’Esprit de Salon.
Trends for Autumn / Winter 2013:
Colors: Pops of electric blue and jewel tones will make an appearance, but for the most part it is BLACK AND WHITE
Fabrics: Vegan leather is a must. Combinations of multiple materials are in every collection. Brocade is big.
Key pieces: For Fall/Winter you should have the following: Laser cut vegan leather anything. A Moto inspired jacket. A circle skirt. Accented vegan leather detailed tops and printed pants.
Inspiration: Motorcycle Chic
Soundtrack of the Season:
We are going “Old School” drum and bass. Kruder Dorfmeister, Orbital, Ming and FS are a few on the catwalk list. We’re loving The Xx and Pharrell this season too.