Today we’d like to introduce you to Brittany Alexander. Them and their team share their story with us below:
Duo was founded by two friends, Jasmine and Brittany, who shared both a passion for a fashion and entrepreneurship. What was once a dream for Brittany, became a great idea pitched by Jasmine one day during casual girl talk. Brittany: I had always dreamt of owning my very own clothing store. I attempted a few times with writing out business plans etc. but somehow, I would always put it to the back of my to-do list. Jasmine and I would discuss fashion all the time in our usual girl talk and I also shared with her how I wanted to open a clothing store. Several times, she encouraged me to give it my all and go for it. Well, one day, we talked and she pitched the idea that we start together. We were then and still now are the best of friends so it wasn’t unusual that she thought of it. She was also looking into entrepreneurial endeavors and shared that same love I have for fashion and shopping. She was the missing piece to the business plan all along! She was definitely the extra push to get it started. What’s better than one fashion guru? Two! Hence our business name, Duo! We created Duo in 2017 and publicly launched to the world on August 11, 2018.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Bumps make the ride even better, right? It definitely has had a few bumps. Entrepreneurship is not for the weak! We didn’t take a business course or have a mentor to help us. Trial and error were our teachers and Google was our resource. Some of the struggles ranged from creating and sticking to a business budget, bookkeeping (because you have to pay Uncle Sam!), our business brand/logo trademarking process, to weaving through the not-so-good wholesale vendors. There are probably many more struggles in between! But perseverance is key and we have learned so much along the way.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Duo is an online women’s clothing boutique that specializes in women’s contemporary clothing and accessories. Our brand is for the Chic woman as we like to call her. Our brand’s goal is to provide something for that particular woman from day to night, no matter the occasion. We have collections that specifically cater to the time of day or kinda day it is. Our collections include OOTD, the outfit of the day which is usually when you want to look cute but casual. A well-rounded look that’ll get you from morning runs to happy hour, BOSS CHÍC is a collection that caters to business, 9-5, and everything in between that calls for a dressier, pro-fashionable look, and ALTER EGO is another collection. The name explains itself, after work, after doing the family thing all day, we want to pull out our Alter Ego right? This collection offers a little more sexiness and boldness. We are most proud of the uniqueness our brand has with specializing in these collections as well as offering styling services for formal events such as proms, galas, and photoshoots. Styling services can be rendered by emailing us directly. Our customers let us know what they are looking for and we take it from there.
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
Brittany: I’ve been a handbag fanatic since I was about 3. I love bags and think they really tell a lot about a woman. As a child, I used to put everybody’s stuff in my purse. One day my uncle was preparing to leave for work and couldn’t find his keys. He along with my other relatives looked everywhere for them. Eventually, after he probably had to catch another ride to work (I can’t remember) one of my relatives decided to check my little purse and there they were! My family never forgets to remind me of this and make the joke, “If you can’t find something, check Brittany’s purse!” I was about 3 or 4 years of age.
Contact Info:
- Email: Hello@shoptheduo.com
- Website: www.shoptheduo.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/shoptheduo_
- Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/shoptheduo/
Image Credits
Maci Wares Photography
Joc Photography
KT Parker Photography
