Hello friends!  It is with great excitement that I introduce you to the realization of my dream: FOUNDATION, a new clothing boutique scheduled to open in Fall 2016. 

I have spent the last thirteen years working in the fashion industry, for some of the best brands and boutiques in the city, and throughout it all I have been able to call so many amazing women my clients, learning what you live in, what you simply can’t live without, and what you can never find when you need it. While I was often able to assist you with what you were looking for, I still felt that something more was needed and thus the concept of FOUNDATION was created.

These funds will allow me to sign the lease for the space and start the build-out process, attend market in March to purchase merchandise for our opening season, and start the ball rolling with branding, marketing, and media.  

FOUNDATION is based on the idea that there are fundamental items that make up the foundation of a versatile, stylish wardrobe: the great pair of everyday jeans, the super flattering black pant, the Breton stripe tee, the fisherman sweater, etc.  FOUNDATION is dedicated to providing Seattle women with a consistent source for these items, as well as a tightly edited selection of jewelry, accessories and gift items. Combined with highly personalized and professional service, FOUNDATION aims to be the perfect store for un-boring basics and updated classics - the clothing store every woman has been waiting for.

I have spent over a dozen years working in retail; it is my passion.  My first job in the industry was working trade shows and showrooms for Cutter & Buck, learning the ropes of the buying and merchandising process. What are customers looking for in terms of quality? How do they build a wardrobe over the course of a season, a year, and a lifetime?  

I was able to refine these skills when I was hired as the store manager for Canopy Blue, where I spent five amazing years learning the shopping needs of a loyal and fantastic client base.  The store owner, Kieran, allowed me to learn so much about running a business, from ordering supplies to managing inventory to planning out the season's offerings, and it was here that my desire to own a boutique was kindled.  

I left Canopy Blue to expand my skills and learn more about the business of retailing.  I have long admired the acumen of J Crew CEO Mickey Drexler and felt that the growing Madewell branch of that business would be a great opportunity.  Joining their first Seattle store shortly after opening, I spent two years learning to be a top-notch merchandiser and honed my management skills while working to develop a successful sales team.  

Shortly after my two year mark at Madewell, I left to open the Calypso St Barth store at University Village, which allowed me to reconnect with my clients from Canopy Blue and meet even more wonderful fashionable women.  Calypso has been a wonderful experience, but the time is right for me to start my own venture, combining all the skills and knowledge I've acquired along the way to bring Seattle women the styles we are always looking for - the foundations of our daily wardrobes, the go-to pieces that are the backbone of how we dress every day.

Small businesses create jobs, promote better urban infrastructure and quality of life within a city, and bolster traffic to surrounding businesses, keeping more tax dollars within the local community.  But it's more than that:  small businesses are the backbone of a community's identity.  As a small business owner, it's only natural to be interested in  the things that are important to my customers and my neighbors - getting involved in community events and philanthropic ventures not only strengthens my community, it strengthens my community's connection to my business as well.  Seattleites are savvy shoppers and they know that the best businesses provide more than just a product - they are fully integrated into the lives of their customers from the in-store transaction to on-brand social media to larger community outreach that still feels very personal and intentional.  FOUNDATION is commited to finding a meaningful balance of involvement in the community - both in those projects my customers hold near and dear (education and children's health and wellness among them) and those projects that hit closer to home (Northwest Hope & Healing).