fab'rik FILES: September 2014

Wednesday, September 24, 2014

National Business Women's Day: Fabulous fab'rik Women

We love celebrating exceptional women in our community! In honor of National Business Women's Day, we are highlighting a few fab'rik women who give meaning to the phrase #girlboss. Follow us as we feature fearless women and their stories this week!

CAROLINE LOFTIN
OWNER. ATTORNEY. MOM.

It has always been my dream to open a clothing store, and in April 2012, my dream finally became a reality. Born and raised in Athens, Georgia, I graduated from the University of Virginia with a B.A. degree in History and received my J.D. from the University of Georgia School of Law. After graduating from law school, I moved to Atlanta and joined King & Spalding LLP where I am currently a counsel on the Finance team focusing primarily on municipal securities transactions representing nonprofit corporations such as healthcare and higher education clients. When I went on a mission trip to Haiti in June 2010, I met and became great friends with Dana Spinola, who is the President and CEO of fab'rik. After returning from Haiti, I worked with Dana to form fab’rik’s charity free fab'rik (a 501(c)(3) organization that organizes free shopping sprees for deserving teens and moms in need). In the Fall of 2011, Dana and I just knew that it was time for me to open a fab'rik in my hometown, and fab'rik Athens opened its doors on April 26, 2012 with the assistance of my incredible manager and friend Melissa McGill. I was absolutely thrilled and honored to introduce fab’rik’s unique shopping “experience” to the Athens retail fashion industry.

Since I opened fab’rik, I moved back to Athens, got married and had a baby girl named Olivia. I can honestly say that I have never been this happy in my entire life. My life is so full of blessings, and I am so thankful for my family and all of the love that my husband, my two stepsons and my daughter bring me. So now my days are pretty full with being a wife, a mom, a stepmom, an owner at fab’rik, and an attorney with King & Spalding. Some days are definitely easier than others, but I would not have it any other way. Along with my love for my family, my love for fab’rik grows deeper and stronger every day. I truly am so grateful and humbled to be a part of the fab’rik family and to learn from these incredible women and men at fab’rik. I cannot imagine my life now without fab’rik, and I look forward to opening my second (and possibly third) fab’rik in Charleston in the near future.

WALK IN HER SHOES

My style has definitely changed over the years from black or dark blue business suits with heels and scarves to sophisticated outfits with unique accessories. I love wearing the latest trend in skinny jeans, tall boots or pumps with a flowy, fun, colorful top. I like spicing up an everyday look to make it look creative and original but always classy.

CAROLINE'S PICKS

Joyce Tank, $78 (http://shop.fabrikstyle.com/collections/tops/products/buddy-love-joyce-tank)

Printed Long Sleeve Top, $58 (http://shop.fabrikstyle.com/collections/tops/products/printed-long-sleeved-top-by-caramela-1)

Short Sleeve Printed Top, $56 (http://shop.fabrikstyle.com/collections/tops/products/short-sleeved-printed-top-1)

Spanx Super Skinny Denim $98 (http://shop.fabrikstyle.com/collections/jeans/products/spanx-super-skinny-denim-black)

Tall Ribbed Boot, $58 (http://shop.fabrikstyle.com/collections/shoes/products/tall-ribbed-boot)

Tuesday, September 23, 2014

National Business Women's Day: Fabulous fab'rik Women

I graduated from Valdosta State University in the summer of 2007 and moved to the "big" city of Atlanta thinking that I would walk right into Corporate America, land a job and become a successful business woman in a matter of NO time.... WRONG. Post graduation, job hunting and trying to find an entry level position proved to be more difficult than I could have ever imagined. While waiting on a dream job, a friend recommended that I look in to working at this cute boutique downtown. I had no other leads at the time, so I thought, why not? (Ramen noodles were starting to get old.) I submitted my resume along with the reasons why I would be perfect for the company, including franchising in the future as a dream of mine. (That might have been a slight fudge. I NEVER thought I could actually own my own franchise!) I interviewed with one manager, followed up with a second and was then hired as a part time stylist with another! I will never forget my first day at fab'rik Forum. I can still remember my outfit: a very business casual look, accessorized with terrible shoes and your standard sorority girl pearls. After a short time as a part timer I quickly moved into full time, solidifying that I LOVE this industry and this company. Seven months passed and a management position opened up, I had no idea that I would have qualified at that point, but Ally, my manager, (now the fab'rik Operations Manager) believed in me enough to help push me in to the roll, and Dana (CEO) gave me a chance to run one of her fab'rik babies. Looking back I now know what an honor it was that they both believed in me with no management experience and very little time in the retail industry to take on this responsibility.

I managed fab'rik City Walk for almost 4 years - the first couple years during a recession - so the days of my retail career were not always glitter and champagne. (Let's face it, glitter and champagne are two of my favorite things.) It took long days of calling customers, hustling in the community trying to create foot traffic and lots of tears. I'm not afraid to admit the hard times because we came out of it as a company, and I came out of it a stronger, more resilient person. Those days and having Dana as a mentor helped mold me in to the go-getting business owner that I am today! In early 2011, a franchise opportunity opened up in my community with the redevelopment of a well known shopping center, I stumbled into a conversation with the leasing agent, and the idea sparked for the first fab'rik franchise in Atlanta! After a few convincing conversations with the fab'rik franchise, we started this new journey to open fab'rik East Cobb! In August 2011, fab'rik East Cobb was born. It has been every bit amazing, crazy, awesome and exhausting! I have loved this journey so much that I will be opening my second location, fab'rik AVALON, in October 2014! fab'rik has been a dream come true and a company that will forever be a huge piece of my heart.

WALK IN HER SHOES
My style has definitely morphed from that business casual, sorority girl to a somewhat edgy, boho chic that likes to test the waters with the seasons latest trends. while I love graphic tees with comfy jeans with layered accessories there is something to be said for the way I feel in a flirty skirt or dress. i love a twist on the classics and tend to add a little flare with the jewels and shoes!

MERE'S PICKS
35 MM Sasha Top, $68 (http://shop.fabrikstyle.com/collections/tops/products/35-mm-sasha-top)
Ombre Jersey Knit Vest, $54 (http://shop.fabrikstyle.com/collections/tops/products/fabrik-ombre-jersey-knit-vest)
Hudson Collins Skinny, $198 (http://shop.fabrikstyle.com/collections/jeans/products/hudson-collins-skinny-in-propaganda-denim)
Carlton Snakeskin Maxi Dress, $98 (http://shop.fabrikstyle.com/collections/dresses-1/products/buddy-love-carlton-snake-maxi-dress)
Perforated Ankle Bootie, $46 (http://shop.fabrikstyle.com/collections/shoes/products/perforated-ankle-bootie-taupe)

Monday, September 22, 2014

National Business Women's Day: Fabulous fab'rik Women

JULIE MYERS
FROM STYLIST TO STORE OWNER

My love for fashion started at a young age. My mother would take me shopping with her as a young girl from as far back as I could remember. I would pull sweaters off shelves and re fold them as my mom would shop and try on clothes. The sales associates loved me! As I journeyed through college and began my search for #whyamihere? I knew that fashion would always find it's place somewhere in my future.

As I entered the work force, eager and ready to get my #girlboss on, I worked my corporate job Monday - Friday and work as a stylist at Club Monaco because I was bored... and crazy. I worked with Club Monaco for 6 years while simultaneously working my regular 9-5 and realized that I looked forward to going to work on Saturday more than Monday. I knew then that I needed to find a way to make this profitable and my career.

This epiphany lead me to join the management team at fab'rik. I knew that I wanted to own my own boutique and build my own empire, but as a self admitted obsessive compulsive and control freak, I had to know all the ins and outs of the business before taking the leap. I have managed the Buckhead store for a little over a year now and it was the best decision I have ever made. I became a sponge and soaked in every bit of information and process that I could. I wanted to know it all and I learned it all and then some. In addition to gaining knowledge, I gained a fab'rik family.

I am so blessed to now be in the position to bring what I have learned and loved back to the start. I am now opening a store where I once shopped with my mother and dreamed of owning a boutique. If you love what you do, you will never work a day in your life.

WALK IN HER SHOES

My perfect outfit would be a great basic top with a little flair (a front train, gold buttons, anything that gives the ordinary a pretty twist), a fur vest (because this is my fall staple), leather shorts (leather shorts automatically give an outfit an edge), heeled booties (because my mom says that I have bad posture and heels always make me stand up straight), topped off with a hat... a great fall hat. All of this combined create a boho chic look that is me and guides me from a business lunch with my style idol Victoria Beckham in NYC to drinks with friends and dinner with my husband.

JULIE'S PICKS

Leather Detail Blouse, $44 (http://shop.fabrikstyle.com/collections/tops/products/long-sleeve-leather-detail-blouse)
BB Dakota Beale Top, $66 (http://shop.fabrikstyle.com/collections/tops/products/bb-dakota-beale-top)
Cropped Fur Vest, $84 (http://shop.fabrikstyle.com/products/fabrik-cropped-fur-vest)
Slit Leather Booties, $46 (http://shop.fabrikstyle.com/collections/shoes/products/slit-leather-booties)
Suede Slit Ankle Booties, $38 (http://shop.fabrikstyle.com/collections/shoes/products/suede-slit-ankle-bootie-taupe)

Monday, September 15, 2014

fab'rik at New York Fashion Week

We at fab'rik pride ourselves on staying ahead of the game when it comes to trends, styles and all things fabulous! So we gathered a team and headed to Manhattan for New York Fashion Week!

That time has come! We've immersed ourselves among the hustle and bustle of the Big Apple, where all the style influencers gather twice a year to relish in the fashionable frenzy that engrosses New York for Fashion Week.

Designers have prepped their forecasted Spring/Summer 2015 styles and are sending them down the runway! Street style has increasingly grown more and more relevant to the consumers and on-lookers of fashion week. Some saying it is more important to watch than the runway presentations themselves.

So we have captured a few of our favorite looks from New York Fashion Week for your viewing pleasure!

Highlights of our trip were networking with the influencers that gathered in NYC for the seasonal fete and of course, meeting Alessandra Ambrosio at one of the many events during fashion week hosted by Schutz for their Fall collection.

Fashion blogger Rachael of EverythingHauler.com also took to Coney Island during her Fashion Week coverage in fab'rik with our ASHER maxi dress for Fall!