A women-owned boutique has been named the winner in Pop Local, a competition that awards one entrepreneur a rent-free storefront space for three months and a design stipend for their concept.
LoveLaunch, a St. Louis-based online boutique where a small group of designers sell high-quality clothing and accessories, was named Tuesday as the winner of this year's Pop Local program. The boutique was one of five finalists selected last month from over 75 applications received by the July 8 deadline.
Edwards Realty Co., a property management, investment and development firm and owner and operator of The Boulevard mixed-use center in Richmond Heights, conducts the Pop Local program. The initiative is aimed to promote local entrepreneurship and create new opportunities for small businesses in the St. Louis area, according to company officials. The Pop Local program began in 2021, when local apparel company Series Six won the inaugural competition.
As this year's Pop Local inner, LoveLaunch will receive three months of free rent to test its concept in a 1,380-square-foot retail space within The Boulevard complex during October, November and December, plus marketing support and a $3,500 stipend to assist with the design of the storefront.
LoveLaunch's founder and owner, Lia Glynias established the boutique "to bridge the gap between fast fashion and high-end couture, inspired by her Greek heritage and the belief that wearing your Sunday best is a cornerstone of living well," according to a press release.
The boutique sources its products through international designers including Alembika, Beltshazzar Jewels, C'est Moi Clothing, Ioanna Kourbela, Loyko and NY 77 Design.
“I personally am moved by the opportunity. I didn’t know if we could survive the pandemic, much less have known that 27 years ago a part-time job at the Galleria would lead to a fashion career that spanned from New York City, to the Pre-a-Porte in Paris and ultimately back home to the City of Saint Louis," Glynias said in the release. "Everyone at LoveLaunch, from my mother to the team that has become family by sharing their time and talents, is psyched to bring inspiring design that is ready-to-wear on the streets of Saint Louis or anywhere else in the world. We want our customers to love coming in to shop and look forward to booking their next return trip.”
The other finalists in this year's Pop Local competition were: Cynthia Richard, a family-owned luxury shoe brand; Reloved Vintage, a vintage clothing retailer; Sugarcoat Home, a specialty home goods, furniture and design services brand; and Whip it Goods Skincare, a producer of plant-based skincare products.
The judging of Pop Local's finalists was based on factors including merit and quality of the application; in-person interviews; online voting; a public showcase held earlier this month at The Boulevard Farmers’ Market; how the business fits into The Boulevard's tenant mix; and the potential for the winning business to remain at The Boulevard after the initial three-month period.
"We continue to be amazed by the incredible response to Pop Local at The Boulevard," Ramzi Hassan, president of Edwards Realty Co., said in a statement. "We have seen through the application process how impressive the St. Louis small business community is. While it was difficult to narrow down such a talented group of applicants, we are confident that LoveLaunch will thrive as a brick-and-mortar business and complement the Boulevard greatly."
He added, "While we wish we could accommodate more of the talented businesses that applied, we’re excited about future opportunities to showcase their inspiring work at The Boulevard."
The 2021 Pop Local winner, Series Six, owned by founder Sami Baldridge, continued to to operate from its space at The Boulevard for more than two years, until it purchased and moved to a larger storefront in St. Louis' Lindenwood Park neighborhood in January this year. Edwards Realty Co., based in Orland Park, Illinois, said it established the Pop Local program to adapt to "the new retail environment" following the Covid-19 pandemic. In addition to the Pop Local program at The Boulevard, it has run five Pop Local programs in the Chicago suburbs of Burr Ridge and Orland Park, and in Brentwood and Collierville in Tennessee.
