moms who mean business Company:
Gigi’s Children’s Boutique
High-end children’s boutique located in the Mercato Shops 9 1 1 8 Strad a P lace #8115 N aples, FL 3 4 1 0 8 O p e n Mon-Sat (10-9) Sun (12-5)
www.gigischildrens.com gigichildrens@aol.com 239.254.0800
with Kristy FINE: Where did you grow up, go to school etc.? Kristy: I grew up right here in Naples, FL, where I was born and raised. I attended Seagate Elementary School, Pine Ridge Middle School, and Barron Collier High School. When I graduated High School I attended UCF and received a BSBA in Marketing.
FINE: What did you do after college?
How did you get your experience for owning your own children’s clothing store?
Kristy: When I graduated college, I was hired as a manager at Express near UCF where I managed 16 college students, mostly girls. My training wheels were off with that one! I was then offered a position as an Event Coordinator with a private company where I worked on Gala’s, Golf Tournaments, Festivals, etc., for non-profit organizations. I then received an offer to attend FIT in New York City for Fashion Merchandising so I packed my bags and headed to NYC. From there, I was recruited by Neiman Marcus to attend their buying program. I soon headed from NYC to Dallas where I lived for 3 years and was a buyer for their 38 stores across the country in their children’s department.
of Gigi’s Children’s boutique
Marcus to Naples so I decided to open my own Children’s store. I began the planning process in 2007, and Gigi’s Children’s Boutique officially opened in 2009.
FINE: What does Gigi’s offer compared to other stores? Kristy: Gigi’s Children’s Boutique offers the finest in fashion for all ages. Our niche is high fashion, high quality, all with a personal touch. Approximately 80% of our products are made in the USA and a majority of it is 100% cotton. I love our products and I love making my customers happy!
FINE: What types of items does Gigi’s carry? Kristy: We start with newborns and go up to size 8 in boys and size 16 in girls. We carry baby gifts, diaper bags, skin care accessories, customized items, jewelry, swim and apparel. Some of my favorite fashion lines are Splendid, Ella Moss, Haven Girl, Joe’s Jeans, 7 For All Mankind, Mayoral, and Kissy Kissy.
FINE: Do you have other stores? Kristy: Yes, I have one (1) other location at the Ocean Reef Club in
FINE: Why/When did you decide to open a high-end children’s
Key Largo, Florida.
boutique?
FINE: What do you love about Naples? Kristy: Naples is such a beautiful place to live.
Kristy: I decided to open my own Children’s Boutique when I was living in Dallas and working for Neiman Marcus. It was always a dream of mine to own my own store, but I loved my job and loved living in Dallas. When my husband and I started the discussion of having a family, I realized I wanted to be close to my parents and family in Naples. It was hard to transfer my job at Neiman
It offers that small town feel but it’s so much more than that. The people here are well traveled; there is culture here, great schools and great communities.
FINE: How do you balance family, owning your own business, and helping in the community?