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Business & Tech

Byrd Style Lounge Relaunches As Couture Boutique

Former Gap designer Julie Stotlar is also heading up the fourth annual St. Charles Fashion Week.

You see them on the catwalks of Paris, London and New York. You see them adorning women at important functions and television award shows. It's the couture dress, one-of-a-kind dresses and outfits hand-stitched by a famous designer or fashion house specifically for an individual, and they can easily cost $20,000 and upwards.

Couture has always been out of reach of most women, but not anymore. Julie Stotlar has re-launched Byrd Style Lounge, taking it from a regular boutique to an authentic couture boutique. The former designer with Gap has also been tapped to helm the third annual St. Charles Fashion Week, beginning August 23, at Ameristar Casino Resort Spa.

Stotlar moved to Clayton from Miami for the simplest of reasons. Her brother's wife had a baby and she wanted to be close to the child. She bought the boutique, packed up her designs, made the move and opened her boutique. On May 7, 2011 she relaunched the boutique to redistribute couture clothing.

“I was getting bored with seeing the same clothes over and over,” Stotlar said. “Designers aren't designing new stuff cause people can't afford it. They just keep putting out the same style. I was personally bored.”

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Although the business model is the same as a consignment shop, Stotlar feels that phrase doesn't do her shop justice.

“We redistribute couture,” Stotlar said. “90 percent of our dresses still have the tags on it. Our collection is very exclusive. I only take an eighth of what comes to me.”

There are many reasons for Stotlar to feel that her decision was a good one. Byrd Style Lounge is one of only five stores in the country that redistributes couture and the only one in St. Louis, Stotlar said. She also believes there is a market for couture.

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“It's made couture accessible to people,” Stotlar said. “The people who want it but never could afford it, now they can. Nobody else in St. Louis sells Dior.”

Judy Stotlar, mother and co-owner concurred. “It's a really bright idea on Julie's part,” Judy Stotlar said. “This makes those dresses available to 18 to 20 year-olds. We're filling a niche.”

The niche is being filled with some big names in the fashion world. The couture dresses at the Byrd Style Lounge feature such iconic designers as Prada, Chanel, Chloe, Ralph Lauren, Dior and Valentino. Similarly, you will find dresses that have a sophisticated provenance.

“We're the Louvre of the Lou,” Stotlar said. “We have museum pieces. We have a dress from a designer who has an exhibit at Boston Museum of Art. We have a dress that was worn only once to Obama's inauguration. You'll find one of a kind dresses, or one that's been in New York's Fashion week, like Alex McQueen,” Stotlar said.”

The big question is how much do dresses at the Byrd Style Lounge cost? “Two-thousand is very high end for us,” Stotlar said. “Our prices run from $30 – $3500. There's a wide range. The Obama inauguration dress? About $2000.”

At the same time Stotlar has been launching the new couture boutique, she has been organizing the third annual St. Charles Fashion Week, five days of fashion events beginning on August 23, 2011. It's no surprise that Stotlar has been tapped to helm the event, sponsored by Pearl Vodka. She has been closely involved in the the largest fashion weeks around the world.

“I was brought in to legitimize it,” Stotlar said. “I've worked fashion weeks in New York, London and Paris.”

Organizing fashion week has not been without difficulties. The nature of the economy has small boutiques reeling, so they're hesitant to become involved in a future event.

Stotlar said, “We're trying to secure a line-up. Things didn't get bad until September. I've seen 20 boutiques go out of business throughout the area, so trying to secure boutiques to commit—who know they're still going to be in business—is challenging.”

The questionable economy notwithstanding, Stotlar is forging ahead with planning events and a myriad of details to make her mission a success.

“We're trying to promote fashion businesses in St. Charles—promoting a new level. It's four nights plus boutique night. There's designer and evening wear, summer suits and bluejeans. We'll have fashion shows that show off local designers. My goal is to bring New York to the Midwest.”

St. Charles Fashion Week is also partnering with four local charities including Connections to Success, Basket of Hope, The Karen Weidinger Foundation and YMCA. Funds will be raised for the charities through silent auctions.

The planning involved in bringing a New York style event to the Midwest is intricate, from auctions to runway shows, setting up a market place with local businesses selling goods, food, drink and hors d'œuvres, and don't forget swag bags.

There's also the matter of lining up entertainment. When asked who or what the entertainment is, Stotlar is elusive.

“I can't tell you yet,” she said.

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