Today we’d like to introduce you to Gabrielle Carlin.
Hi Gabrielle, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I launched Bella + Mauve in 2017 as an online store during my senior year of high school. I loved shopping at boutiques in high school because the clothing was always so cute and curated. It was also much easier to find styles I liked rather than going to a department store. This gave me the idea to start my own online clothing boutique. I thought it would be a fun side venture to do parttime during school. To help grow my business, I would pop-up at fairs and festivals around NC. My parents were super supportive. My dad built clothing racks for me and would help me set up. My mom would spend the entire day with me at my booth. I was so young at the time, that people often assumed my mom was the one running the show and would direct all their questions to her. With a smile, she’d always gently point them back to me – the real owner behind the table. The most asked question was “where is your storefront located?” Hearing that over and over made me start to really consider turning what I thought would just be a side hustle into something more and sparked the dream of opening a brick & mortar location.
But first I had to finish high school.
I graduated high school and studied Fashion Merchandising at Meredith College. During college, I worked parttime at two local businesses in Downtown Apex. There were days where I would clock out at one job and walk down the street to clock in at my other job. I loved it so much. I really felt like I was living in a Hallmark movie. Downtown Apex has always had a special place in my heart. I’ve lived in Apex my entire life and grew up visiting all the local downtown shops and have so many fond memories here. There was one storefront that I always loved in particular (I’m foreshadowing). During this time, I was also interning at an event planning company who hosts pop-ups/festivals for small businesses and artists (fun fact: I still pop-up with them today!). That internship connected me to a ton of other small business owners and local artists. My dream expanded beyond just selling clothing. I wanted to collaborate and give artists and makers a space to sell their products and expand their reach. I promised myself that if I ever opened a physical location, I wouldn’t forget about creating that space.
I graduated from Meredith College in 2021, and that same year I opened my dream brick & mortar location in Downtown Apex. Bella + Mauve has been going strong in Downtown Apex for almost 4 years. Building my business has been full of learning curves, risks, and so many rewarding moments. I have big plans for Bella + Mauve, and my dream continues to evolve every single day. I’m excited for what’s ahead and so grateful for everyone who’s been part of the story so far.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The biggest challenge was finding a retail space. I had a very specific vision for my dream storefront. I liked the charm and character of a historic downtown shopping district and didn’t want to be in a new building that I would have to make a huge investment in to build-out. I never thought that Downtown Apex would be a possibility, but the timing was perfect and the business that was occupying one of the downtown storefronts had put up a “store closing” sign in their window. This was my dream space. I was so excited that I was already mentally planning the layout of of my store. I immediately went in and got the building owners information from the previous tenant. I emailed the building owner and told them my entire story and business plan. But I was too late. They had decided to go with another potential tenant. I was crushed. But I didn’t want to dwell on what could have been for too long. There was another downtown space that was available, but needed a lot of remodeling as it used to be a dentists office. After a lot of contemplation I decided that I would sign the lease. But before I could, I got an email. It was the owner of my dream space. Their potential tenant fell through and the space was available. I immediately said yes. This time was definitely a whirlwind of emotions. But the initial rejection made me appreciate our space so much more. I feel so grateful to be where we are now – I truly have to pinch myself every time unlock our doors for the day.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Bella + Mauve?
Bella + Mauve is a women’s lifestyle and clothing boutique located in Downtown Apex, a quaint historic town in North Carolina (my hometown). Our main goal is to foster a community that supports and lifts each other up – we want our customers to walk through our doors and feel like they’re at their best friend’s house. We’re not in competition with each other, rather we’re a space whose mission is to make women look and feel their best. We’ve coined ourselves as the ‘girls’ girl’ of boutiques because of that mentality. Each piece is thoughtfully selected without compromising trend or quality. Right now we are best known for our in-store and online charm bar. All of our necklace and bracelet chains are crafted in house and we currently offer over 250 charms (which we rotate and add to weekly) to add to necklaces, bracelets, and keychains/bag charms.
When I launched our charm bar and saw how excited customers were to create a piece that was so unique and customized to them, I realized that I wanted to get back to the core of what boutiques were meant to be – a place where you could find things that no one else had. So a new dream is currently in the works. I am in the process of creating our own brand and am working on designing my own clothing to carry exclusively at Bella + Mauve. I’ve gotten a few samples in but am still working to make them perfect before we announce an official launch.
Until then, you can still shop from a wide selection of beautiful, on-trend, quality pieces. Bella + Mauve has styles for any occasion. Whether you’re going to brunch, a dinner party, graduation, or just running errands – we have something for you!
Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
There was a time when Bella + Mauve was not my only business! In college I had a thrifting/antiquing business where I would post my finds on Instagram to sell and ship to customers around the country. At one point that business was more successful than Bella + Mauve. I have since deactivated that account to focus fully on Bella + Mauve, but I sometimes get the itch to start it up again.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://bellaandmauve.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bellaandmauve/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bellaandmauve
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@bellaandmauve?lang=en
