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n October 2012, Megan Hunt and Sarah Lorsung Tvrdik launched Hello Holiday, an online women’s clothing retailer. The boutique initially carried, among other items, party dresses, cute work essentials, well-made shoes, a handful of vintage items and a handbag that resembled a cat. They funded their first trip to market with proceeds from a giant garage sale, and then launched their business with the tagline, “Celebrate your arrival.” Since then, Megan and Sarah have moved from their original tiny Benson headquarters into a larger downtown space. A new website, a recently released look book and growing fan base are giving their business plan continued momentum. Today, Hello Holiday has expanded to include both hairstylist Rebecca Forsyth as beauty director, and a parttime employee. The boutique owners have a large and loyal following on Instagram, where they frequently post photographs of both themselves and their customers modeling their apparel. They’ve arrived, it seems, and the Hello Holiday customer has, too. Mostly gone are the frills and Peter Pan collars that characterized early collections. In their place are classic pieces in rich fabrics and bold colors, mouthy T-shirts, a few sexy dresses and a handbag in the shape of an order of French fries. Inspired Living recently caught up with Megan, Sarah and Rebecca in their downtown office. Why Hello Holiday? Sarah: The name came to us after a late night of brainstorming at The Dell (in Dundee). We were looking for a name that would be both celebratory and friendly, and after making list after
list of possible name combinations, we came up with Hello Holiday and it just felt right. Who is your customer? Megan: “The three of us talk about that a lot. We used to be a bit more cutesy. A lot of that was us, and a little bit of that was us emulating our competitors.” Sarah: “But we’ve had more success being ourselves.” Rebecca: “(The clothes) are more functional now. We ask ourselves, 'Would we wear this? How would we wear this?' In the beginning, we tried to sell a bunch of denim, but we don’t wear jeans.” You’ve been committed to carrying extended-size clothing even though there aren’t many options out there. Why? Sarah: “Extended sizes have been trial-and-error for us. We found Steady Clothing, which is made in the United States. We have worked with Tess Munster, one of the most successful plus-size models in the market.” Megan: “This is our priority. We do carry a lot of plus-size clothing, but it’s not enough. It’s not nearly enough.” Rebecca: “We don’t want it to be an afterthought.” Sarah and Megan, you both have young children and you are also running a young company. How do you find a work/life balance? Megan: “I have no balance. I’m burning like a star (she laughs). I kind of look at the work/life balance in a big picture way. I’m working really hard now so I can have more free time later.” Sarah: “I don’t feel like I have a work/ life balance per se, but I do feel incredibly blessed that I can have my son here with me right now. Many of my peers don’t have that option. I don’t get as much done, and I might
have to Instagram two or three things on a Saturday when I am off, but I get to have him here. I love my job. I’m living my dream.” What’s your best piece of fashion advice? Sarah: “I don’t believe in guilty pleasures. If it’s a pleasure it’s a pleasure. Don’t feel guilty about it.” Megan: “If you like it, wear it. I think things look better on you when you’re confident.” Rebecca: “Allow fashion to let you live on the precipice between reality and fiction.” Megan: “Where did you pull that one from?” Rebecca: “A book I’m reading. But it’s the truest thing I’ve read in my life.” And what about business advice? Megan: “Imagine you work in a vacuum and you don’t know what your competitors do. Just do what you want.” Sarah: “I think we’ve had the most success when we’ve been genuine. Go with what you’re feeling.” Rebecca: “The harder you work the luckier you get.” How has this job changed you? Megan: “I have grown as a person in ways I didn’t expect. Working with Sarah and Rebecca has made me discover a lot about myself. I’ve found a lot of self-acceptance.” Sarah: “I’m less judgmental about women and how they look in general. We want to help women look the way they want to look – the way they feel best about themselves, whatever that may be.” Rebecca: “But I want them to look the way they want to look. I want them to have options.”
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