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Meet Sydney Ferguson of Korsè Swim Boutique in Lithonia

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Today we’d like to introduce you to Sydney Ferguson.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Since high school, I always knew I wanted to own a business. The main thing I was insecure about growing up was having large breasts and a super skinny body; it was very difficult to find clothes, especially swimsuits, that would fit me right. I told myself one day I was going to make swimsuits custom to women’s different body shapes. Fast forward to my junior year of college; I was going through of a lot of changes within myself. I questioned whether I was on the right journey or not. I had just got accepted into nursing school at Georgia Southern, and after many nights of uncertainty, I turned down the offer and changed my major. I was not happy where I was nor where I was headed in life. I decided to transfer schools and pursue my dream of becoming a model.

I moved back to Atlanta in 2018 and started attending Georgia State. Being in Atlanta with many opportunities, I wanted to start a business for myself. I toyed with different ideas of businesses I was interested in getting into. I knew it had to be something I was passionate about. Eventually, I remembered what I told myself in high school and decided to start a swimwear boutique. My plan was to start off selling swimsuits from vendors then eventually move onto manufacturing my own designs. Having custom collections for different shaped women like myself is the goal.

As a clueless beginner, I just knew starting a business was going to be fun and “easy,” but boy, it was far from that! Between having no idea what I was doing and going through the woes of my personal life, it took me two long years to officially launch! There were many times I just wanted to give up and throw the whole business away, but God told me to keep going and be patient. Fast forward again; it’s 2020, the beginning of a new decade. I have a precious newborn to raise and was just a few months shy of graduation. I felt like this was the year God finally said, “it’s the time!” I told myself I was not going to let anything stop me… then COVID hit America. However, I didn’t let that deter me. When I finally launched in May, I was surprised by the amount of support I’ve received from my family, friends and strangers! My business has grown tremendously, even with a pandemic going on, I am extremely blessed and grateful.

Has it been a smooth road?
This journey has been anything BUT smooth! It took me two years to launch! My first struggle was falling into a deep depression; my mental health had deteriorated and I was not in a good space to start a business. I gave up on Korsè before I even got started and took time away from school. Months later, I gained my health back and started getting my life in order. I geared my focus towards Korsè again, just to soon find out… I was expecting a baby!

At this point, I seriously considered giving up on Korsè and not looking back. I had a baby on the way and enrolled back into school full-time. I had to dedicate all my extra time and focus on preparing for her arrival and insuring I did not prolong my graduation date any further. I already had a small inventory of swimsuits, just waiting to be sold. Every time I looked at the pieces, I felt a strong sense of disappointment. In the back of my mind, I knew I couldn’t throw it away yet. Thank God I didn’t because now Korsè Swim has been nothing but a blessing to me. The struggle is still real though! Currently, my biggest challenge is finding balance between working, growing a business, and being a mother to my adorable baby. On the flip side, these are good struggles and I am certain I will never give up on Korsè again!

So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Korsè Swim Boutique story. Tell us more about the business.
Korsè Swim Boutique is an online swimwear store dedicated to giving women affordable, trendy swimsuits. I started Korsè Swim to market swimwear to all type of women. Our favorite quote is “All Bodies Are Swimsuit Bodies” because we come in different shapes and sizes but that doesn’t mean one body is better than the next. One size does not fit all and that’s okay! All bodies deserve to be praised as they were perfectly created by the Man above! I want it to be known that Korsè is for everybody; I love seeing women confident in their own skin.

With that being said, head over to Korsè Swim right now as we are having a huge end of summer sale! The temperature is dropping here in Atlanta, but it’s still summer somewhere. Get some swimwear for your next vacation!

How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
I see the industry of e-commerce dominating the retail industry. Everyone is ordering online now; people do not want to leave their houses anymore, especially with covid making its stay here. Many people are getting into the industry as well. There are several new small owned business I discover online every day. Social media is playing a large role in retail as well. Instagram has had a way for consumers to link products directly to a website from a post for a while now. But recently, they launched a platform to have a storefront directly on businesses’ Instagram pages! The main source of marketing comes from running ads through Facebook and Instagram! On the contrary, I don’t see brick-and-mortar stores going anywhere either, at least not in 10 years. Not yet. Physical storefronts still offer that space for consumers to have the shopping experience with the convenience of getting their products immediately.

Contact Info:


Image Credit:
Sydney Lanae
Terrel Antoni

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