Business owner
'Blossoms'
in women’s retail WRITTEN BY ANGELA OLIVER
On “the happiest corner in Owensboro,” as Jessica McKinley calls it, sits Blossoms Apparel & Gifts, a soft peach building that houses on-trend women’s apparel and accessories. Just behind it, The Shoe Garden showcases women’s favorite footwear. With both stores, Vicki Mills and McKinley, who is Mills’ daughter, offer contemporary styles and brands that are usually associated with bigger cities. Mills opened Blossoms in 2004 after 20 years of being a stay-athome mother and wife. Two years later, McKinley, her only daughter and oldest child, graduated from the University of Kentucky with a degree in business and joined her mother’s venture. “My mom is obviously my best friend — I’m the only girl out of five so we’re very close and have that connection,” McKinley said. “Over the years, we’ve found a way to balance home and work life.” She said both women like to be present at the store to get to
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know customers. “She’s been a lifelong resident and really loves this community, and people like to see the owners care about their customers,” McKinley said, “so it’s very important for us to be there, to interact with people who support us and to get to know them because that helps us serve them better. We learn their likes and needs.” Blossoms offers brands such as Kendra Scott Jewelry, Frye, Jessica Simpson, BB Dakota, IT! Jeans, Spanx and Moon & Lola. And The Shoe Garden, which opened in February 2015, a natural extension of Blossoms since they owned the space, offers TOMS (including a few for men), Hunter Boots and Steve Madden, among other lines. “Having those brands keeps people from having to go to Evansville or Nashville to shop; their dollars stay in Owensboro,” McKinley said. “We outfit everyone from middle school girls to grandmas.” Like her mother, McKinley said she was committed to staying in Owensboro. “I always knew I wanted to raise my family here; there’s no greater town to raise children, and I don’t know if I would’ve been able to do that and run a business anywhere else,” said the mother of 6- and 3-year-old sons. Her husband, Brady McKinley, co-owns Bowen Tires, another local business. “We’re both small business owners, so we realize the importance of shopping local,” she said. “I’m so grateful for a kind community that does support local businesses.” Beyond the success of the stores, McKinley, 32, said she’s happy to be part of the growing crowd of young professionals. “We have a lot of young people who choose to stay here,” she said. “Or those who find professional opportunities and never thought they’d be here, but they love it.” Blossoms and The Shoe Garden, at 805 Frederica St., are open from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.
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