Today we’d like to introduce you to Stephanie Ryan and Kylie Kulwicki.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
We are designers by trade. We met at the office and found we shared a mutual love of fashion and styling. We had been dreaming of owning our own boutiques and decided to take the leap together. We do have different styles, but we think it balances us out, especially when shopping for items to have in our online boutique.
Great, 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?
While we have a lot of fun at twelve TEN, we have had our share of bumps along the way. Probably our biggest shock was receiving product that was not the quality we thought it was. We had placed our first order and were so excited to receive it. When it arrived, we were like kids at Christmas until we unboxed it. We will never forget that embroidered dress. It has such potential, but the embroidery work was a complete mess.
The mission at twelve TEN is to provide quality product at an affordable price. There was no way we could list the dress in our boutique. Such a disappointment, but it certainly made us look closer at fabrics and details before placing an order. We are a bit obsessive about it now!
Our other big obstacle is work/life balance. We’ve grown our families since we started twelve TEN (twins boys for Stephanie, and Kylie has a seven years old daughter and just had a baby boy in October). When we were in initial talks about starting this business, family was a top priority. We wanted to make sure we could run the business and have time with our families. We knew it wouldn’t be easy, and we are still trying to navigate it, but we are making it work.
Please tell us about twelve TEN.
Twelve TEN is an online boutique for women’s fashion and accessories. Our motto is “Closets made simple. Wallets made happy”. We want to offer fun clothes that women can afford. Clothes that make them feel good. Clothes they don’t have to save up for weeks (or months) to buy. It does take time to find unique, affordable items, but we are proud that we have been able to continually offer fun fashion with the changing seasons.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
There are so many to choose from, but with it being holiday season, this specific memory came to mind. I love Christmas, it is by far my favorite holiday! As a kid, I remember having an Advent calendar at my Dad’s house. I don’t know that I was an early bird at that point in my life, but it was always the most exciting when I was the first one awake and could move the little Santa from one date to the next. It’s the small things, it really is! Sometimes my step-brother and I would wake up at the same time and race to the living room. I get excited just thinking about it. I would win… most times, and probably because he let me! Either way, what a sweet memory it is! Now I have a similar one hanging in my house, and I can’t wait for my twin boys (Knox and Liam) to create their own memories with it.
Pricing:
- $3 flat rate shipping. Always.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.shoptwelveten.com
- Email: shoptwelveten@gmail.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/shoptwelveten
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/shoptwelveten
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