If there is one thing that Cyd McClelland and Amy Kolbrener know about, it is fashion. The mother-daughter duo own and operate Eloise, an upscale clothing boutique located in downtown Charlottesville, VA.
“My father worked for Bergdorf Goodman and every day after school I would go there and wait till he got done,” said McClelland. “I learned how to match a tie to a suit correctly, how to sew and match patterns, how to drape a dress correctly…I guess you could say that fashion is in our blood.”
McClelland started her career behind the perfume counter at Bergdorf’s before deciding to try her hand at other areas within the fashion field. She briefly worked as a buyer for a “really famous shoe company that shall remain nameless” before settling into the world of retail.
Throughout her years in New York, McClelland managed and operated several boutiques and clothing stores. “I just fell in love with helping people feel special,” said McCleland, “I enjoy making people feel better about themselves and giving them that hop in their step because they found those jeans that just suck in all the right places.”
That feel-good attitude also lured Kolbrener to the retail side of fashion. “I always knew I wanted to have my own store one day, but I wanted to know how to be successful at it first,” said Kolbrener. “I needed to know how a store runs; all the behind the scenes stuff that no one tells you about that you just have to learn for yourself.”
Born in fashion mecca, New York City, Kolbrener learned early on she wanted to join the world of design and fashion. After graduating from Penn State she decided to head back to New York to hone her skills where she worked for Kate Spade. She managed the flagship Manhattan store for 3 years before becoming a Director of Purchasing for 4 years.
“We’ve only worked in fashion… We would be in serious trouble if we had to grow up and get real careers with jobs that require pantyhose,” Kolbrener said with a laugh. “Besides my mom always says that fashion is in our blood and we just wouldn’t know how to do anything else.”
Sharing a love for fashion and retail McClelland and Kolbrener decided to join forces for the first time when they opened Eloise in 1999. With both tired of city life, they knew they wanted somewhere quieter but nothing too far removed.
“We just wanted a change,” said Kolbrener, “I didn’t want to live in a high-rise my whole life, I wanted a yard.”
They decided on Virginia after McClelland took a nephew to visit the University of Virginia located in Charlottesville. McClelland says that after that first visit she went back only twice with her daughter before they relocated.
The large student population helped solidify the decision to move to a new town and start a different chapter in their lives.
“As anyone in a college town knows, there’s so much energy, creativity and freshness floating around,” Kolbrener said. “We give them ideas, help them find that perfect outfit, but in reality, they really help us and keep us evolving. Nothing is worse than old fashion!”
This is really good subject matter, really outside the realm. You had great quotes and they had a great story to tell. I'm curious as to why the shoe brand that McClelland worked for remains nameless? Well written and interesting piece.
ReplyDeleteInteresting story and well-written. The quotes are well balanced. However, I am just curious as to why the famous shoe company remains nameless. But besides that, great story.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed this even though I know nearly nothing about fasion. The quotes were spaced in a way that kept the story flowing.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading this story! It really showed how fashion is much more than a career for some it is lifestyle. I like how you sort of took the reader on a small journey while talking about McClelland. It sounds like she knew what she wanted to do with her career and made it happen. I love the part when she says if she wasn't doing fashion she would be in trouble because she doesn't know anything else!
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading this story. You did a very good job weaving in your quotes and having your source tell the story. But I was wondering how you know these people and their store since it is located in Virginia and how that relates to people in Fort Collins.
ReplyDeleteShe refused to name the shoe company because she had some negative experiences with a boss while there, although she claimed to have learned a lot, and she didn't want to give them any sort of publicity
ReplyDeleteI think this is a fascinating piece of fiction. For example, I have known Cyd McClelland and her father for almost 50 years (I'm married to her), yet she never told me about the time she worked for Bergdorf Goodman or a shoe company. Though she did run a couple of restaurants in NYC, which aren't mentioned. Also, I'm sure Amy would be intrigued to find out that her degree came from Penn State rather than University of Colorado. Also, I think they decided on Virginia not because of some nephew visiting here, but because (1) her father lived in Keswick and was remarried to a Charlottesville native, (2) her sister had married a professor from the Architecture School at UVA, and (3), most importantly, her husband (me) was admitted to the Slavic Department at UVA, whence he received his Ph.D. in 1999.
ReplyDeleteSo I like the interweaving of dreamlike fantasy with real-world facts. Makes for interesting speculation, and keeps the Surveillance Society guessing!