BY L'KAI TAYLOR

 

Felice Killian started making jewelry at age 14. With only beads and wire, young Killian strung unique pieces and sold them to the parents and peers at her all-girls Catholic school. From there, she moved onto hosting weekend jewelry shows at her parents’ house in New Orleans to opening her own boutique on King Street.

      Considering the turnover of businesses on the popular boulevard, Killian’s jewelry shop, Felice Designs, stands out because of its longtime success. The 30-something shop owner recalls what it has taken to build her business from the ground up and keep it thriving through the years.

      “It’s all about timing,” explains Killian, one arm folded across her chest, the other holding a phone to her ear. “The key to my success is slow and steady.” She started the business in her home and progressively upsized through studios and a gallery, until her patience paid off, she says. Rather than overextend herself by committing to a big shop, she waited until her business was established enough before she increased the size of the facility.

      She remembers parking in front a vacant storefront with a “for sale” sign. Clearly, the time was right to make the move into her shop at the corner of King and Warren, because April 1st marked 11 years since Felice Designs moved into that space.

      Good timing isn’t all it takes to succeed in business. “You have to be personable,” Killian adds. “My favorite part is meeting new clients.”

      As one of her regulars, a man in his late 60s or early 70s, walks in, Killian turns enthusiastically and greets him. He informs her that he’s looking for earrings for his wife. “I could make you something today,” offers Killian.

      “Oh, that would be great,” he replies.

      “That’s what I love about my business,” exclaims Killian. “It’s cultivating these friendships,”

      Killian’s assistant, Hannah Shepard, who’s meticulously arranging beads for necklace designs, shares lessons she’s learned from working with Killian. “The biggest thing I’ve learned from being here … Have some care for every person; don’t just think of them as a person spending money.”

      Killian may not have known how to run a business when first starting out, but she learned a lot along the way. One challenge she’s faced during her years as a shop owner is juggling home and work life. As a wife and mom to three, Killian admits that it’s hard to be a parent and own a business, but she says she works hard to make time for both.

      As for the jewelry, Killian says she updates the style of beads to keep things interesting over the years. “We change up every now and then,” she says. “Pieces would get boring if I kept making the same things.” She admits that her latest switch to florescent colors is a little risky, but she takes comfort in her clients’ trust and appreciation for her jewelry.

      Sitting at her workstation in the front of the store, with tons of colorful glass scattered across her craft table, Killian illustrates the process of lamp work, the art of melting glass over an open flame and circling the melted glass around a stick in different patterns to form a bead. With a metal rod, a small flame, protective goggles and tons of colorful glass rods, Killian crafts each bead she sells right at the front of her cozy little boutique. “They’re not made in Taiwan,” she says. “Each one is an actual thought, which keeps them interesting.”

      Five blocks down from Felice Designs, Robben Richards owns a high-end clothing boutique named Worthwhile. She caters to Charleston’s upper class with her elaborate array of new designs straight from Paris.

      “We stay true to what we like,” sings Richards when asked the secret to her longtime success on King. With avant-garde fashion flair, Richards lists Isabel Marant and Rick Owens among the big-name brands she carries, in addition to small, new designers she constantly adds to her line. “I try to look for new designers every season,” Richards says.

      Though Richards and her assistant, Brad Kneece, stick to things they like, they always keep customers in mind when buying. “They trust us,” Richards reports.