Today we’d like to introduce you to Bria Antoine.
Bria, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I am the founder of SeauxLA. SeauxLA is an online clothing store based out of Houston, TX.
The name SeauxLA came about after many months of contemplation. The “eaux” ending is often used in Louisiana as a marker of our French/Cajun heritage. As a proud Louisianan I thought it would be creative to use the play on words and incorporate it into my business; hence, the name meaning So- Louisiana or So-LA.
Going on, I had recently moved to Houston in the summer of 2016, almost immediately after receiving my bachelor’s degree from LSU. I was working a job that I was not completely happy with and felt that I had to make some major changes in my life.
Though I committed to maintaining my full-time employment, I became motivated by the successes of many others in Houston and believed I could start small and search other interests.Houston is home to many entrepreneurs and successful individuals doing things I had never seen or even thought of in Louisiana. I honestly attribute my move to Houston for the creation of SeauxLA.
After doing research for some months on different brands, small owned businesses and ownership, I was ready to launch in 2017. Although I was extremely excited, I lost my momentum after only a couple of months. There were plenty of things that I realized I had done wrong starting off, and I am so thankful for those lessons. Although I am very hard on myself, it made me realize that I needed to focus on many small, but large factors when it comes to owning a clothing store. It was a one-woman show, and honestly, I wasn’t happy with the clothing, photos, website, final product, and being the face of my brand. I realized that I found better enjoyment behind the scenes.
In 2019 I decided that I wanted to give SeauxLA another chance – this time dedicating more time into it and making large changes that I felt would better the brand. I did things my way, did intensive research on trends, hired models, personally sourced clothing, focused on branding, marketing, attended seminars – the whole sha-bang!
I believe that I came back stronger and better, which was my main goal. I have a brand that I can proudly stand behind, very pleased and consistent consumers, and I couldn’t be more excited to see how SeauxLA evolves over time. I call this phase- Trusting the Process!
Has it been a smooth road?
SeauxLA has definitely NOT been smooth sailing and honestly, I am not sure if I would have wanted it to be. With starting, stopping, and starting again, I’ve been able to learn so much about myself, fashion, my ideal market, and entrepreneurship.
When I first started SeauxLA I was receiving lots of input from everyone, which initially stressed me out! So many things from, not having clothing for certain age ranges, to having specific sizes, specific items, and the list goes on! Though I was trying to appease everyone, I was still very uncomfortable being the face of the brand, because I was afraid of judgment. Like I said before, I am very hard on myself, so I often worried if individuals didn’t like the pieces and eventually stopped posting and deleted everything.
After totally neglecting anything SeauxLA for over a year, I decided to revisit the thought, but it took some convincing of myself.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the SeauxLA story. Tell us more about the business.
SeauxLA is an online clothing store that specializes in trendy women’s wear. Although SeauxLA can be worn by ladies of any age group, our average consumers range from about 18-mid 40s. We have items of all sorts such as: casual everyday wear, swimwear, and special events/nightwear.
I’m mostly proud of SeauxLA’s ability to be liked by women of such a wide age group. I believe what set’s SeauxLA apart from others is its branding and aesthetic. I’ve placed lots of time, effort, money, and hard work into making sure the items, photos, website, packaging, and customer service are top tier and I believe that it shows and makes a huge difference in someone’s shopping experience.
Where do you see your industry going over the next 5-10 years? Any big shifts, changes, trends, etc?
In the next 5-10 years, I pray that SeauxLA has a physical location if the economy allows, and hopefully an influx of consumers and success. Our main priority is to have customers who genuinely love shopping with us! I would also love to be involved in the design process of some or all items eventually! Baby steps first!
Pricing:
- $20-$60
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.shopseauxla.com
- Email: customercare@shopseauxla.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shopseauxla
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ShopSeauxLAA
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/shopseauxla
Image Credit:
Shagari Gerard Photography
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