Today we’d like to introduce you to Salisha Virani.
Hi Salisha, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
My sister and I grew up going to work with our parents, who were small business owners. We learned the art of sales, marketing, and building customer relationships while we were learning our ABC’s.
Though we both went to business school, our interests took us in different directions. After graduating from the University of Houston C.T. Bauer College of Business, I pursued my law degree while my sister worked in the bridal industry. During law school, my sister and I lived together and often talked about what it would be like if we had pursued a life similar to our parents’ lives as entrepreneurs. Over months and years, we came up with our idea for a small business.
We started Lina V. Formals as a women’s formal wear boutique where our clients could pursue an upscale boutique experience without the pressure of shopping in a high-end store. We pursued retail licenses with well-recognized designer brands, but we also made sure to partner with more budget-friendly brands.
Our gowns are available for women of all ages and sizes and for just about every occasion. Today, we are providing women with gowns for occasions like Weddings, Pageants, Prom, Homecoming, and Quinceañeras, as well as accessories such as Veils, Tiaras, Belts, and Robes.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
Like many small businesses, we had lessons to learn and struggles to overcome. Our first boutique location lacked a lot of the foot traffic that would make our business successful. We found an opportunity to move to a better location, albeit one with more competition, and have found greater success.
With COVID-19, we lost out on some of our heavy seasonal shopping, such as Prom 2020 and Homecoming 2020. Weddings were cancelled, delayed, or downsized, so we had many brides and bridal parties that had to cancel their orders. We weathered the storm and are now excited to see the Prom season in full swing.
We found ways to differentiate ourselves from our competitors in the same block as our current location, namely through building relationships with other vendors in the industry and reflecting our customers’ wants and requests in our inventory.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Lina V. Formals is women- and minority-owned and operated by a local Houston family. We partner with well-known national brands and also with budget-friendly brands. Our dresses are size- and age-inclusive. We are constantly partnering with new brands to make sure we offer a fresh variety of gowns for our clients. Lina V. Formals participates in styled shoots and fashion shows to build relationships with other vendors in the industry and to stay aware of the current trends in the Bridal, Pageant, Prom, and Quinceañera industries.
Unlike many of our competitors, all of our inventory is chosen by young women who are of the same age as many of our clients. This means we have a better understanding of what women are looking for when they are trying on their dream wedding gown or prom dress. We offer accessories like veils, tiaras, jewelry, and belts to complete the look.
We have expanded our services to include customization options. Currently, we offer robes in over 40 colors in kid’s and women’s sizes that allow our clients to complete their luxe experience the day of their big event. We can add names, dates, and other special identifiers that create a wonderful keepsake.
We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
My father, who has supported my sister and I in this venture, shared some advice with us that has really stuck with me. Sometimes, you just have to jump into the pool to see how deep it is. I am the more risk-averse between my sister and I, but this advice has always pushed me to do what I needed to make our boutique a success.
I believe our hard work has fully paid off in the form of our current success, but luck has also played a factor. We have been lucky in the relationships we have built because they have brought us more opportunities. Many businesses did not survive the full lockdown that began in March 2020, so we were very lucky to have made it through that as well. We try our best to do right by our clients, to provide top value for their dollar, and that passion has reflected in the reviews and recommendations we get from our clients.
Contact Info:
- Email: contact@linavformals.com
- Website: www.linavformals.com
- Instagram: @linavformals
- Facebook: @linavformals
Image Credits
Jenna Dewji, Ashley Rivers, Alexandra Galvis, Alicia Yarrish
