Meet Gabi Schwobe of BluMonday

Today we’d like to introduce you to Gabi Schwobe.

Gabi, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I can’t say I’m a fan of the term girlie girl, but when it comes to fashion, and if the shoe fits, go ahead and throw it my way. I have had an obsession with fashion since I was very little. A good part of my early years was spent watching Project Runway on a loop, walking around in my mother’s high heels and sketching designs in my notebook. All while maintaining happy-face sticker grades in elementary school.

I grew up in the northern suburbs of Atlanta with a group of amazing friends that I still see or talk to nearly every day. It was during this time that others started recognizing my ability to put together smart outfits. Even in middle school, friends and family would ask me to help them shop or give them advice. Grown-ups would send my mom pictures and say “ask Gabi what she thinks”.

After high school, I went on to GCSU in Milledgeville, Georgia. Like a lot of kids, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to be yet and even though “fashion was my passion”, I wasn’t sure it was the right choice for a college education and I actually started with a pre-law major. I wish I would have stuck to my path and studied fashion design or fashion merchandising, but my degree in Communications also works very well for this field.

After school, I moved to Atlanta and started a summer internship at Modern Luxury magazine. Dream job for sure! Growing up, I would collect fashion magazines, especially Vogue, the holy grail of them all, and I was mesmerized by each glossy page. So, when I landed a marketing internship for Modern Luxury, I was over the moon. I think my love for the industry showed and I was offered a permanent position as a sales and marketing associate. That was a great time for me and I loved the people I worked with and I loved the magazine.

My inner entrepreneur kicked in around that time and I knew there was something more for me out there. I realized it was time for me to take a chance and start my own boutique. I live and breathe clothes so why not make it a career.

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?
As of right now, I’m almost three months into it, and when I say “it” I mean the launch of my website. Prior to this, there were months of preparation, decision-making and self-doubting that I had to work through before opening my virtual doors.

I wouldn’t say it has been smooth, there are just so many things to learn but I am blessed with the best support team a young businesswoman could have. My family has been with me every step of the way and I know they have my back. My boyfriend has been especially incredible and my friend group, many of which have known me since my young fashionista days, have been more than amazing.

My struggles are the same as most entrepreneurs, long hours and cash flow issues while you try to get your ideas off the ground. Networking is the most important rule of starting your own business and this takes every waking hour. Owning your own business isn’t like going to work for someone else, I am “on” all hours of the day, I don’t have a schedule which has a lot of benefits but also a lot of downside. Everything is on me to succeed, which is a lot more pressure than performing for someone else- I didn’t see that coming.

I am just an average 24-year-old girl living in Midtown; I don’t have special connections or a large following on social media so I really rely on my amazing support team to help me get my business out there. When I see a friend post on their Instagram story shouting me out, it really means so much to me, not just because they have followers that I don’t, but because of their love and support.

So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the BluMonday story. Tell us more about the business.
I am the proud owner of BluMonday, which is an online women’s boutique. I specialize in quality women’s clothing for fashionable women of all ages. My clothes are well made with excellent prices; this is something you don’t always see in the boutique business.

I currently focus strictly on clothing and jewelry but will be expanding into shoes and accessories by the start of 2020. I have found great suppliers, and I can’t wait to launch into this next phase.

Look, everyone and their sister is trying to start their own online store. What sets me apart from the others is the clothes. I work my connections to find the most unique and awesome suppliers out there so that I can offer my clients the best look possible with pieces they won’t find in stores. You’re not going to show up to a party and see someone else wearing your outfit. My sense of style and passion for clothing speak for itself; trust me and BluMonday to fill your new, cool girl wardrobe.

I wanted to do e-commerce because it is the future, as brick and mortar stores continue to close left and right. This is a sad fact, especially for fashion lovers like myself who still like to go into a store sometimes and just take it all in. But I shop online and I know my generation loves to shop online. It’s easy and convenient, especially with todays’ fast shipping.

I have always wanted to help my friends and other women dress to their best. I believe in shopping smart, I have a taste for the finer things, what fashion girl doesn’t, but I grew up with women around me that taught me from a young age how to shop smart. I guarantee you I could go into some discount clothing store and find a few choice things, not tell you where it was from and you would be obsessed. It’s a gift.

So when I price my items, I don’t believe in overpricing, I base it off of the quality and the style. You should always invest in the clothing with quality because it will last you. Yes, trends come and go, so maybe don’t spend $500 on those hot pink platform boots. But maybe spending $50 on a blouse should be looked at as an investment rather than just a purchase. Having clothing that will last you decades also helps our environment, sustainability is the future, and it is something I would like to work with more.

Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
I personally do not believe in luck, I believe that we all have our own paths and no matter what we do, we end up where we do. I’m only 24 but I have made many mistakes, all of them have led me to where I am today, and for that I am grateful. The mistakes I know I will make in the future are helping me get to where I need to be.

Contact Info:

• Website: shopblumonday.com
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: @shopblumonday
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shopblumonday/

Image Credit:
Photographer: Mariellen Hurt

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