King Kouture in Solana Beach |

September23rd

King Kouture in Solana Beach

Posted in: BEST Of..., Featured Products, Gift Ideas for GIRLS, Girly things I love!, What to wear NOW

King Kouture is a fabulous new beach meets glam boutique located in the heart of Solana Beach, full of unique and stylish fashion pieces. I was so happy to find a place I could shop at and actually find something I wanted to leave with! If you are anything like me, you leave the mall discouraged and mad that you have money in your hand, yet nothing even worth buying. Well, problem solved because Elisabeth, the owner of King Kouture will make, yes MAKE, you anything your heart desires. ALL her pieces are designed and hand made by her.

Her boutique offers women a variety of one of a kind pieces, party tops, dresses, hair accessories, you name it… she makes it, AND you can rest assure no one else will be wearing your outfit! I love her tops because they are all made to be able to wear without a bra. I have no boobs but the way she lines each top, it’s totally ok! She also uses cute laces, ties, buttons etc.

Check her store out! It is located in Solana Beach on Coast Highway by the Del Mar Fair:

King Kouture 437 S. Highway 101 #116 its right next to CPK and Pacific Coast Grill

(858) 345-1765

I bet you are thinking well, something like that must cost a fortune, but nope! Her pieces, designed entirely for you, are about the same as that Bebe dress you just bought for Vegas last week. All under $200 bucks easily unless it is some crazy design.Tops run for about 60-80 which is great for a personalized piece.

Here is what I think her boutique is PERFECT for:

* Bridesmaids dresses- how fabulous would it be to choose your own material, cut, style color and have it made to fit each girl!

* Birthday dresses- I wish I found out about this fabulous boutique before my big birthday in Vegas, early October How cute would it be to have a birthday dress made just for you!

* Wedding dresses- She is getting married in 10 days and made her very own dress, so awesome!

* Vegas dresses, going out dresses, daytime wedding dresses, cocktail dresses, engagement parties, baby showers etc etc…

I always have ideas of outfits I want to create and now I can! I had so many questions for Elisabeth considering she took a huge risk at opening her own boutique and I thought it would be interesting to read about the creation of King Kouture for fellow aspiring small business owners to read for motivation. Elisabeth is so awesome, click here to read the rest of her article on what King Kouture is all about and exactly how it came about and for TONS more pics of her pieces and info about our joint fashion show coming up in a few months!

Here is the interview between Elisabeth & I about King Kouture

*Describe to people out there what it is like starting your own small business? First step? Hardest, most challenging step?

Firstly, people thought I was absolutely crazy to start any type of business in this economy and at first I thought the same thing until I came across the perfect space in Solana Beach and that’s when fate stepped in. It is always scary starting something from scratch but I have learned in all of my past ventures with no risk there is no reward and if it fails, at least you tried and learned from it! The most challenging step for me is the fact that I AM the business in its entirety- I dream of the piece, I hunt for the perfect fabric, I draw the design and sew every every piece from start to finish so they are all my little babies and I look at it as they are finding their “home”.

*What kept you motivated besides your husband?

My husband has definitely been my rock and has pushed me to open the boutique but my true motivation is the excitement I see on a woman’s face when they try on my pieces, how sexy they feel and how it completely makes their night! I get emails constantly telling me how many compliments they received that night and how great they felt and that makes me feel amazing and drives me to sew again and again!

*I am sure at times you became doubtful of the huge risk you were taking, what did you do to overcome that fear? Or were you sure of yourself the entire time? Be honest!

I would be totally lying if I said I wasn’t scared about making the jump to open a boutique- I am scared everyday but then I reassure myself that I am doing the right thing, I am making a difference and everything takes time. I am seriously believer in energy and positive vibes. I understand that sometimes that may be naive at times but I am living proof that if you think positively, put out good energy and be good to people, the success will come and that’s the truth:)

*What is the price range of your items?

Tops? 60-80
Dresses? 120-250 super reasonable

*What makes your boutique stand out above the rest? Why should girls shop here?

I want shopping in the store to be what I believe people of gotten away from “an experience” . Instead of walking in with your head spinning due to the amount of inventory, I want the client to
enjoy viewing each piece and its unique construction, the colors texture and print and decide
what they feel they cant live with out. All the pieces are all truly “one of a kind” and you cant really find that anywhere else.Girls should shop here because not only are the pieces unique, they all embody what a woman is- smart sassy sexy and sophisticated.

*What is your customer service policy? Many businesses are very strict and unaccommodating no returns, no exchanges, what is your approach to keep the customers happy?

This is where I really feel I bump it up a notch. Because I make each piece, if there is something you don’t like about it in terms of fit, I can fix and have it to you by the next day. I even go the extra mile by constructing a piece from scratch with the clients fabric selections to make sure it is a piece they will love and knock on wood …..I have not had one piece returned! Lets just say I have not finished my own wedding dress that I am wearing in 10 because I am more worried about my clients getting their pieces in time:)

*Do you plan on expanding into other items? Coats? Sweaters?

I definitely would love to do those pieces but due to the nature of production, I am not as proficient with constructing those pieces so I am hunting for someone who can do those pieces in small amounts, way under normal production. The great thing about dresses is that you always need them to make a statement, there is always going to be a party, a celebration, an event and especially during the winter. Everyone wants to turn heads and that’s what my pieces do.

*What are some of your long term goals with the store? Where do you see the store in 5 years?

I would love for the store to become a household name with a few locations up the coast but still staying strong to its unique nature which is why it has shown to be a success in the first place. I’m not looking to be rich, just happy and comfortable and make enough to continue to do what I love.

*If you had to compare King Kouture as a mix between two brands, what would it be? Example would maybe be Juicy Couture meets Skyy…

Its funny because in a normal situation where fashion students were to study other designers, I went to college for Art and Architecture at UCSB so I draw more from my inspirations from colors and textures and how I pair them. I would say that my line is somewhat bohemian chic with an organic element of sensuality.
*Rumor has it you will be launching a fashion show this year, give us a glimpse at what you will be showcasing?

Yes, Previous careers of mine involved modeling and marketing so I am itching to put those to good use and put on a much needed classy showcase entitled “Summer Suits for Winter Warmth” …who says you don’t need a swimsuit in the winter?? - we are going to partner up with an independent bikini line out of Australia that has suits like you have never seen and they are all hand constructed by a young 19 year old designer who is incredible! Stay tuned!

More of her FABULOUS pieces

king kouture

Melany in King Kouture

king kouture solana beach

Visit her store if you are in the area!

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1 Comment

Comment by Mel — September 24, 2009 @ 9:38 pm

I have a top from KK as well as a custom made dress and I can’t say enough great things about them! Elisabeth goes above and beyond to make sure all her clients are extremely happy. She even finished my dress BEFORE her wedding dress – and her wedding is next week! Talk about customer service! Def check out this boutique if you are in the area.