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by Rebecca Kane '23
Starting a business is not easy. It requires self-motivation, hard work, and passion. Natalie Acopian ‘19 wasn’t afraid to take on the challenge, and she now runs her own successful clothing company. With three Instagram accounts with a combined total of over 37,000 followers and a Pinterest account with over 4,000 followers, she uses these platforms to show off her artistic eye and her talent for graphic design. On her boutique’s website, there are trendy pieces for everyone, with a range of bright colors and bold prints to neutral, cool-toned pieces. So, how does she do it? What inspired her? Where is she now? The answers you want are all here!
Q: How did you know you wanted to start your own business (what was your inspiration)? How much did it cost to start up the business/how were you able to budget the funds to start up?
A: During my senior year of Lafayette, I knew that I did not want to have the typical job that most of my peers were applying for. I know it’s a cliché, but if we are only given one life, I do not want to waste any moment doing something I am not passionate about.
I had always been passionate about fashion/design etc. and wanted to bring my vision to life. I was always being asked where I got my clothes and so I thought if I could monetize something I was already good at, that would be my dream job. I always knew I wanted to start my own business, but I did not know what that business was going to be.
In March of 2019, I was in Los Angeles which was when I think the clothing boutique aspect of my business was really brought to life. I went to the Fashion District in LA—which if you don’t know what it is, it’s basically a neighborhood in Downtown LA where shop owners can go and find wholesale vendors for their brands.
I went one day and came back with a whole bunch of items to sell on my website and that’s when everything started. Also, I must add that in order to be any kind of store owner, you have to have some sort of licensing. So, before I went to LA I applied for all of the licenses so I would be able to take this next step.
I think I spent about $1,000 when I initially started up my business, but I quickly realized that if I wanted to be the “next big thing” (which is what my goal is!) then I really have to invest my life and money into it all. The monetary aspect was definitely really scary for me because I didn’t know if I would be successful in this and spending thousands of dollars on this seems like such a gamble when you don’t know if you will make it.
In the beginning, I had some help from family members to help with my funding, but now I am operating totally on my own. I am extremely passionate about my brand and spend every second of the day working on making it better. If you pour your heart and soul into something, there is no way you won’t be successful.
Q: What was your major at Lafayette? What Lafayette courses, involvement, connections and/or experiences helped you get to where you are today?
A: I was a Film and Media Studies Major and Art Minor at Lafayette. I think the best thing that Laf instilled in me, no matter what major you were studying, is their worth ethic. I seriously learned so much about time management and the idea that hard work is worthy of a reward. Being surrounded by so many intelligent peers who were extremely productive inside the classroom and out is one of the main principles at Laf that helped me to succeed. I think it is less about the major you are pursuing and more about the people that you surround yourself with.
Q: How were you able to build your brand and portfolio while in college (especially considering Lafayette has no communications or business school)?
A: I had created an IG account the summer before my senior year called Colorful Natalie for my graphic design edits. Initially, this was something I did for fun, but it really gained popularity through IG and Pinterest. I really spent all my time that I wasn’t doing school work designing and editing pictures. I would be hanging out with my friends and they would just be used to me sitting there with my computer and iPad not talking to them, just editing away.
Once this page started to get big I was like “okay, well it’s time to monetize this aspect of my life and start to see if I can make my living this way” so I took everything I had learned from graphic designing and illustration and decided this is what my brand’s foundation would be on—I love fashion and I love graphic design/illustration, so THIS is how I can stand out from other brands.
Q: What sort of strategies have you found the most successful in marketing your brand and performing better than competitors in the same business realm?
A: Going off what I said in the question above, having the foundation of me being Colorful Natalie, the graphic designer/illustrator, before creating my clothing brand is what I think makes my brand stand out from others. I really know how to catch my audience’s attention because I myself personify my audience. I know what people want to see because I am the people. Basically, I mean I am catering to people who have the same likes and dislikes as I do, so I feel like I would know exactly what they want. There are so many different small boutiques that kind of look like one another, and to stand out, you have to put your own little twist on things.
Take for example makeup lines—there are SO many different celebs who have decided to start their own makeup lines (Rihanna, Selena Gomez, Addison Rae, Kylie Jenner, etc.) and some of their make-up products probably look the same/do the same thing. One huge difference (other than the quality of the make-up of course) is the marketing. Each of their marketing teams has a completely different style to sell their make-up. Kylie Cosmetics has my favorite marketing because of all of their pink and girly advertising—they do a great job at attracting customers like me because they know who they are catering towards.
Just like I know who I am catering towards with my marketing. Selling your products and having a successful brand is all about marketing and advertising—which is how my graphic design account Colorful Natalie helped me to be successful in this aspect.
Q: What is it like working for yourself? How do you keep yourself motivated and on track? How has your work ethic and goals evolved now compared to in college?
A: I absolutely love working for myself. If you know me at all, you know that I’m a huge homebody—I can make my own hours (although I’m usually working most of the day) and I can do it from home. There is always something for me to be working on, so it is not hard for me to keep myself motivated. My day is filled with me wearing different hats to help my business run smoothly. I just think about larger brands and their success and how one day that will be me. I spend my days pouring my heart out into my business and that is what success is built on.
Here are the links to Natalie’s boutique and social media accounts!
Now, go show her some love: