Story and photos by Jennifer Taylor
If you asked most high school seniors where they would be 10 years after graduation, chances are their answer would not actually be where they end up 10 years down the road.
Lauren Stewart, however, ended up exactly where she said she would be when she was a high school senior.
“I never really had any intentions of working in fashion, but in that video, I said ‘I’ll probably own a women’s boutique,’” Stewart said. “My senior video was definitely the instigator in my decision to open a boutique.”
Stewart is now the owner of Lulie’s on Cahaba, an upscale women’s boutique located on Cahaba Road in Mountain Brook Village.
Stewart grew up in Baton Rouge, La., and found her way to Alabama when she decided to attend college at Auburn University.
While at Auburn, Stewart studied marketing and Spanish, still with no intention of working in the fashion industry.
“My mom is originally from Mountain Brook and my parents decided to move there while I was at Auburn,” Stewart said. “That’s how I got to know the area.”
When it came time for Stewart to graduate, her love of fashion and her statement from her senior video came to mind and two months later, Lulie’s on Cahaba opened in July 2009.
“My parents heard that a building in Mountain Brook Village was for sale. It honestly was a right-place, right-time kind of situation when I decided to open Lulie’s,” Stewart said.
One of the first things Stewart had to do upon deciding to open a boutique and acquiring a space was choose a name for her business.
“I chose the name Lulie’s because my sister called me ‘Lulieboo’ when we were toddlers and later my nickname just became Lulie,” Stewart said.
A self-described people person, Stewart enjoys helping women who usually have trouble putting things together to flatter their body type.
“I love using fashion to lift spirits. When you help someone put together an outfit or pick out a simple piece such as a scarf or jewelry, it can really boost their self-esteem,” Stewart said.
Although opening a new business has proved challenging at times, Stewart’s love for fashion and the opportunity to help women feel confident make her job worthwhile.
Stewart hopes that Lulie’s on Cahaba will stand out as a store where mothers and daughters can shop together and know that they will be helped in selecting clothing that makes them look and feel their best.
“Working in fashion, no day is the same. I can’t imagine working in an office and sitting at a desk all day. I’m too much of a people person,” Stewart said. “I want women of all ages to come in and feel accommodated and know that someone will help them find that perfect, flattering outfit for any occasion,”
For help selecting that perfect outfit no matter your age, visit Lauren Stewart and the girls at Lulie’s on Cahaba.
Lulie’s on Cahaba
www.luliesoncahaba.com
2724 Cahaba Road
Mountain Brook, Alabama
205-871-9696