FAMILY
likes to highlight and help promote family-focused people
and businesses in Michiana and the following family-focused
business profile is nothing short of a great, local gal balancing
her family life and business dream. Growing up in a strong
family business here in Michiana, this entrepreneur learned
great family and business values and ethics from her parent's
family business and is making her own way now in her own family
business … Allow us to introduce to you … Vanessa Cooreman-Smith,
owner of Flourish Boutique and Gallery.
The
door opened, and a sweet voice said "Hi! Welcome to Flourish!"
For Vanessa Cooreman-Smith, the grand opening of her new boutique
in South Bend has been a lifelong dream.
For
as long as Vanessa can remember, she has had a passion for
art and fashion. Her mother jokes that even as a high school
basketball player, Vanessa accessorized her uniform with a
beautiful big pink bow in her hair. Flair and style come naturally
for Vanessa. A self-confessed shop-a-holic, Vanessa commented,
"I took all of my shopping experiences, combined the best-of-the-best
and created Flourish".
Starting
this unique boutique online, Vanessa was able to get a pulse
on what a variety of women are looking for - not only in clothing,
but also in gift pieces and art for their homes. Vanessa admits,
"I've always been a shopper. So I am familiar with what our
market has, and where the gaps are. I wanted to create a store
that helped to fill in the gaps, so ladies don't have to travel
to New York, LA or Chicago to get great designer looks that
we all ogle over in fashion magazines."
So
with the vision to help women 'flourish', this adorable boutique,
located on South Bend's North-West side, was opened. "I love
art, I love fashion, I've always wanted to open a store that
would include a balance of both", said Vanessa. And that is
exactly what Flourish is…a place with beautiful feminine clothing
that caters to a variety of sizes and tastes as well as a
great gift shop with one-of-a-kind pieces of art in the form
of wall art, jewelry, handbags, shoes, stationary, and more.
"We
are always updating our inventory, so that every trip to Flourish
is different" said Vanessa.
WHAT
IS IN A NAME?
Vanessa
decided on the name "Flourish" for two reasons: To help women
find items with extra flourish or flare that will make them
feel special - and to help women blossom, increase their confidence,
and Flourish! Vanessa commented, "It is amazing what happens
to women when they find the 'right' outfit. They stand a little
taller and even the look on their face changes. THAT is why
I opened Flourish."
WHAT
MAKES FLOURISH DIFFERENT?
The
on-rack size range is 4-16. Many smaller boutiques don't carry
a wide size range; which is disheartening for those ladies
who are 'real' women. American women are an average size of
14; Flourish caters to the average American woman. Vanessa
mentioned, "The clients I serve are real women, of all ages
and all stages of life. And honestly, I am not a size 2, neither
are most of my friends - what would the fun be if I owned
a boutique - but couldn't fit in anything that I sold, and
couldn't help my friends find great pieces that looked amazing
on them?"
THE
ONE THING PEOPLE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT FLOURISH?
According
to Vanessa, "I want women in Michiana to know that no matter
your age, size, or budget you can find joy in shopping at
Flourish." 
Vanessa
thinks "fashion" becomes a chore in many people's eyes. For
women, shopping for jeans is in the same category as having
a root canal. She went on to say, "At Flourish we have made
the beauty and unique character of boutique style clothing
accessible to all women, which is why we have committed to
a wide range of sizes and prices. One example is a pair of
jeans we carry that are a dark wash with leather detailing
on the pocket, in sizes 4-16, for only $49.50."
As
a Saint Mary's College grad, Vanessa has a soft place for
all things SMC and ND. For the ND and SMC fans, Flourish will
feature art by Bill Jensen; paintings of the golden dome and
a touchdown in action!
WHAT
WON'T YOU FIND AT FLOURISH?
What
you won't find at Flourish are stuffy salespeople, who make
you feel judged and uncomfortable. Regardless of what stage
of life you are in, you will leave feeling good about yourself,
and like you've made a new friend. Vanessa said, "Whether
you just had a baby and are 4 sizes beyond your pre-baby-size,
you are looking for a gift for someone, if you just want to
stop in and check us out…we will always welcome you, offer
you some water, and help you as much (or as little) as you
want!"
You'll
also never find that Flourish is closed minded: Vanessa loves
to search for new fashion finds, and encourages clients to
share their favorite designers with her. She said, "if you
come in and don't see a certain brand, size, or style you
are looking for, let me know! I love fashion and I love our
customers, so I am always open to ideas about what you would
like to see in the store!"
WHAT
BRANDS DOES FLORUISH CARRY?
Featured
designers includes celebrity favorites like Betsey Johnson,
Rebecca Taylor, Tarina Tarantino, Yoana Baraschi, Linq, and
Love Quotes Scarves. They also have great companies like Style
NY, Samuel Dong, La Cite, Nancy Rose, Signette, M.Rena, Body
Language, and many others that are new to this area.
Flourish
chose to carry these designers because they offer amazing
clothes for even more great prices. In Vanessa's words, "we
also chose a few because the clothing was so breathtaking
it was more like art than just a top or pair of pants".
Some
store favorites are pieces that are handmade by artists from
all over the world; jewelry, accessories, artwork and stationary
that has been meticulously crafted by seriously talented artisans.
One example is a company called Harlequin Feltworks; the designer
hand felts scarves that look like rose petals wrapping around
you.
"Being
raised in a family business here in Michiana has taught me
how to go after my dream to start and manage my own company.
I was always learning from watching my mom and dad work hard
and mold their visions into reality…now I am doing the same
thing with my own family; together we are working to make
my dream to run a boutique and gallery flourish!"
Flourish
has an online store, and the physical store in South Bend.
You can find Flourish Boutique and Gallery at:
Flourish
Boutique & Gallery
24545 Brick Road, Suite A
South Bend, In 46628
www.flourishboutique.com
GRAND
OPENING CELEBRATION
Flourish
is planning a week long grand opening celebration from Saturday,
August 30, through Saturday, September 6, 2008. The Grand
Opening event will showcase the boutique's "best of", as well
as some great "one time only" grand opening deals!
