Today we’d like to introduce you to Anna Manuela Faulk.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
As a mother of two, A 15 year old son Ashton and 5yo daughter Aven, I of course joined the masses of other momma’s in this day of social media to always have my kids “camera ready”. Meaning more often than not I wanted them dressed as cute as can be and in a style that I felt reflected their own individuality. During the pregnancy of my daughter, I realized I loved a more fun and trendy style that I couldn’t find in local shops in our Columbus area. This forced me to scour the internet and come across some amazing independent designers and lines from all around the world that I fell in love with, and as time went on, many others did as well. During this time I was practicing as a registered nurse and would have never fathomed myself where I am today, yet over the years as Aven grew and I continued to purchase online, I noticed more and more that many other momma’s were doing the same and the idea came to mind to curate a store and provide our local area with a “Go to ” place for quality, one of a kind, trendy kids fashion. Fast forward a couple years and lots of hard work, and my dream came to fruition. I was able to compile a style that I felt is on the forefront of children’s fashion trends that included major designers, all the way to independent handmade lines from around the world, and bring them to one central location. My dream was that when someone chose to shop with us, from newborn through teenage years, when they stepped into our store they would find fashion for everyday wear to special occasions that they couldn’t find anywhere else. My aesthetic is one that is an ode to vintage times, classic looks and all things lace and beautiful and I wanted to incorporate that into my stores design. I wanted it to be a place of whimsy that was a shopping experience for both parents as well as children, not just a place where clothes hung. I have a passion for antiques, interior design, and furniture refurbishing and I used items within the store that I collected over a year and redid myself to create the current look of the store. Our name is a homage to my grandmother Lula Mae whom was such a great inspiration in my life and continues to be a guardian angel for me and my family and my daughter Aven Mae is named after. So long story short, I’m a mom who had a dream and finally realized if I wanted to be an example for my kiddos I would have to take a leap of faith, worst case scenario is I fail, but if I do I can hold my head up high and say I was one of the few who tried, who went out on a limb, left their comfort zone and chased a dream, whatever the outcome may be.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
The road was paved with self-doubt from the beginning for me, not only because I am a busy wife and mother, but my entire life and career had been in the medical field and I had no idea, and still sometimes don’t, on what I’m doing!! The retail world is finicky as are buyers, and it is definitely not for the faint of heart, as I’m learning on a daily basis. All of this on top of trying to curate and introduce a new brand/genre of children’s fashion to our area has come with a certain set of challenges. My current inspiration, and one that continues to push me, are our wonderful loyal customer base that continues to grow on a daily basis. Having a mom come in and share my love for fashion, especially when it comes to their children is amazing, then seeing their smiling birthday or school pictures in our clothing makes it all worth wild. I know the future of our continued growth will derive from hard work and a true passion for what I am doing, and those I’m doing it for, and that certainly supersedes the struggles that come with small business.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
Lula and Mae is a children’s boutique and our aesthetic for all of our age group sizes we carry is fun and whimsical, with touches of vintage boho charm, and current trendy design running through the styles we choose to carry. We have a huge passion for handmade and unique designers and continue to find clothing lines that represent our vision for this. When we first opened we focused on newborn through sizes 6/7Y, and as our customer base has blossomed, we have listened to what our shoppers want, and have expanded our “Tween/Teen” line to include up to sizes 15/16. We have found this age is not quite ready for adult boutique clothing, yet is out of that younger looking style and it has become one of my favorite markets to buy for! Our passion for our own sense of style as it represents who we are is adults is what fuels us to have the same love and creativity when dressing children. Mixing current and trendy design with classic basics, is one of our favorite elements when creating an outfit for out little ones. We love the idea of dressing them as children as long as possible, but keeping with the fashion trends and mixing in fun pieces that show off our own style, as well as the individual style of the children we dress. Cookie cutter is not our thing, we want a Lula and Mae dressed little one to be easily spotted!!
What were you like growing up?
Growing up I was hell on wheels, or at least that’s what I was told, lol. I’ve always beat to my own drum and had a sense of individuality in anything I did. From a young age I found identity in fashion. I can follow the ebbs and flows of my formative years by the clothes I wore, and can still do so to this day. Finding myself in the fashion industry at this age and time of life, certainly new, but not surprising at all. I think the fact that it’s in the children fashion spectrum is something I would have never foreseen, but I’m able to incorporate my love of doing my own thing and bringing something new to the table in children’s style to my area. I’m bringing a love for fashion, helping others in any capacity, and desire for uniqueness with my vision for this store and what I’m working to create. Plus who knows, the door is definitely still open to expand into “mommy wear!! lol I feel there has always been a streak of rebellion in me, to prove others wrong in who I am and what I’m capable of doing, so uprooting all I knew in the sense of career and stability to open this store has certainly kept with that part of me.
Contact Info:
- Address: 1648 Whittlesey Rd #200
Columbus , GA 31904 - Website: LulaAndMae.com
- Phone: 706-221-3104
- Email: Contact@lulaandmae.com
- Instagram: Instagram.com/Lulaandmae
- Facebook: Facebook.com/Lulaandmae
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