At the age of three, a young wide-eyed girl zipped through the crowds with her mother to go to their favorite boutiques. Scrambling through the shops as clothes flew everywhere, the two turned the boutiques’ dressing rooms into their own runway. As laughter and excitement filled the boutique, the young girl and her mother decided that one day they would like to start a boutique of their own.
Now, what started off as a farfetched dream has become reality for entrepreneur Taylor Lawson, Class of 2017. She recently launched her online women’s boutique, Blu Hue.
“I have always had this urge to become an entrepreneur, but I never thought it could actually be a reality for me,” Lawson said.
Lawson began creating handmade jewelry the summer before her senior year and selling it through social media such as Instagram. Although Lawson always wanted to open her own online boutique, money and time played a large role — especially considering that she was working a full-time job at the time.
After deciding to follow her mother’s footsteps in opening a clothing business, Lawson was able to thoroughly research her options and found that most brick and mortar stores are moving online. With the support from her friends and family, Blu Hue began.
“It’s about time,” boyfriend Jay Watson, Class of 2017, said. “She has always had an eye for fashion and had always dreamed of opening a boutique. I was honestly excited when she finally pulled the trigger.”
By age 23, Lawson became the sole owner and creator of Blu Hue and is seen as a one man show.
With mixture of contemporary and bohemian style, Blu Hue’s collection offers an array of options, including swimwear, fashionable clothing, jewelry, sunglasses and handbags.
“Blu strives to provide affordable clothing and accessories while also maintaining high quality and trendy brands,” Lawson said. “Our goal is to help women feel beautiful and confident in what they wear.”
According to Olivia Neuhaus, client of Blu Hue, the boutique honors their goal of creating quality pieces at affordable prices that can fit any girl’s style or collection.
“Besides the amazing quality of the clothing and the affordable price of the entire Blu Hue collection, I love that Blu Hue has pieces that have the ability to fit any girl’s unique style or aesthetic,” Neuhaus said. “Blu Hue’s clothing is able to be added seamlessly into any wardrobe, and many pieces, like my Blu Gingham Dress, are wardrobe staples that can be worn for years to come.”
The online boutique also offers free shipping and orders take approximately three days to be delivered, which is one of the advantages Blu Hue has against many competitors whose shipping typically takes two to three weeks, according to Neuhaus.
The boutiques precision to detail and dedication is also what sets Blu Hue apart from their competitors.
“[Lawson] is so particular in the way she goes about setting up her ‘look,” Watson said. “Nowhere else can you find the precision and attention to detail you’re going to find at Blu Hue.”
Although Lawson has had great success with Blu Hue, she has experienced the ups and downs that come with running her own business. Lawson said she has stayed motivated by keeping her head high and striving to stay persistent.
“My business is doing surprisingly well, [but] I would say the biggest struggle for me right now is just building the brand and creating relationships with my customers,” Lawson said. “It is hard to break through in this market when no one has heard your name before, but I know I have to push through it. Some days are a lot better than others.”
Lawson would also love to have face-to-face customer interactions, but she plans to stay in the online market for now. However, if her business continues to succeed, Lawson said her next move will be to open temporary pop-up shops in Austin, Dallas and Houston.
“I can already see it gaining traction on Instagram,” Neuhaus said. “Every time someone buys an item and posts it on their Instagram, Blu Hue is getting its name out there. Every day, more and more girls are stumbling across this amazing store and realizing that this is the place to shop.”
For more information about Blu Hue, visit bluhue.com.