Butterfly Women's Consignment Boutique, Mount Pleasant's inventive and successful twist on high fashion retail, celebrated their Belle Hall Boutique's first year in business with a birthday party Jan. 21. Owner Amanda Rosen invited two equally successful women entrepreneurs, Cupcake's Kristin Khulke and Carol Antman of Creative Spark Center for the Arts, to join Store Manager Kim Heath and her staff in the celebration.
VIP guests included Mount Pleasant Mayor Billy Swails who cut the cake kicking off the afternoon celebration, and Town of Mount Pleasant Business Development Coordinator Quin Stinchfield. A portion of the day's sales were donated to Creative Spark Center for the Arts to support programs that use the arts as an agent of social change.
Rosen opened her Belle Hall store during one of the weakest retail markets in decades. Armed with a respectable knowledge of couture fashion and a solid business plan, Rosen turned Butterfly into a successful business, now with two stores in Mount Pleasant and one in downtown Charleston.
'Women want to be beautiful and fashionable, whatever the economic climate. Recycling and recirculating their wardrobe gives them the opportunity to keep their look fresh and original. It's fashion without the guilt,' she said.
Butterfly's generous giving programs help the community as well.
In addition to Creative Spark, they contribute to East Cooper Community Outreach (ECCO), Florence Crittendon Programs, Neighborhood House and Butterfly's own program with community schools, 'Graduating Stars.'
Butterfly consigns authentic brand label, like-new, in-season, in-style women's fashionable clothing and accessories from only the top brands including Black Market, Trina Turk, Tory Burch, Lilly Pullitzer, Christian Louboutin, St. John, Valentino, Versace, Moschino, Gucci, Chanel and Prada. And it's not just clothes; they have shoes, handbags and jewelry, some with original tags still attached.
Cupcake's story began in 2006, when owner Kristen Khulke came back to Charleston after a year-long stay in New York, armed with a passion for baking, a research-driven business plan and a lot of support from family and friends before opening her first store in the Upper King Design District in downtown Charleston.
Khulke opened her Belle Hall store in April 2008, followed by her third location in Columbia's Vista neighborhood last August.