 |
| Fallon Huffman, Entrepreneur Photo credit: Carey Shaw SKY Magazine: Living Well Fall 2014 The Red Issue |
Fallon Huffman, #QueenV #Phenom
“If you could do anything, and not fail, what would it be?” he asked. The traveller replied, “I would open a boutique, choose my own products and direct my own photo shoots. I would follow my values and be in control of my own vision and my own brand. I would be free.”
THAT WAS THE FIRST TIME SHE HAD HEARD HERSELF SAY IT OUT LOUD, and from that moment forward she began her journey. One year later, her vision became a reality. In September 2012, Fallon Huffman (Mazurkewich) launched Queen V Fashion House on Broad Street in Regina’s Warehouse District.
“I went in search of discovering what it would take to bring my vision to life after I heard myself say it out loud. I read books, did the research and followed my vision to Queen V.”
“The Queen V muse is brave. She is unique and the creative. She embraces fashion as an expression of ‘who I am’. Queen V is for the woman who appreciates ripped jeans and sequins, statement making jewelry and accessories and graphic t-shirts. The Queen V collection is for the woman of any age who loves and lives style and standing her own ground.”
“I chose the letter V because it is the Roman numeral for five, which is also represented as a five-point star symbolic of a woman. I also love the oppositional quality of words that begin with the letter v: virtue, vice, victory, villainous, virtuous, visible, vulnerable . . . these words are not for the faint of heart, and neither is Queen V.”
Fallon launched Queen V in the national and international market place in February 2012 first by creating the website, www.queenv.co and reaching out to the brands that she wanted to bring to Regina. First came Club Manhattan, then House of Harlow 1960, One Teaspoon, Religion, Spiritual Gangster, and Bardot Australia. Queen V Fashion House, the store, opened in September, eight months later in October 2012. November 2012 she launched the online store in Canada and in June 2013, she opened the online store to the United States.
The Queen V vision led to the creation of the High Priestess brand – which started as an in-store brand exclusive to Queen V, with signature jewelry pieces. What began as a differentiation tool soon became a business and soon after she began selling select pieces of the High Priestess brand to a shop in Saskatoon.
From there, the young entrepreneur created Villa Fashion Agency + Distributors (villafashionagency.com), a jewelry distribution sister company to house and distribute across Canada the Club Manhattan and High Priestess brands.
In her first year of business, Queen V’s interactive social media strategy captured the hearts of 20-somethings, sparking a #QueenV cult following on Instagram. She quickly learned she had a knack and photographer’s eye for fashion, styling and buying. In just two years, Queen V Fashion House online has grown into a one-stop shop and online retail haven with a progressive following of fashion risk-takers.
“People Instagram beautiful pictures of themselves wearing the clothes they love from Queen V, and I am so honoured that they love them that much to share them with the world.”
Today, Fallon’s bold style is synonymous with motorcycle jackets, rock tees, shredded denim and an occasional red lip— all elements of the fashion retailer’s intrinsic personal taste.
With a relentless obsession over all things web and social media, Fallon has propelled her brand’s unforgettable aesthetic on every channel including more than 5,608 followers on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram combined and growing. These carefully curated pages have translated ‘likes’ into sales. Fallon has revolutionized marketing with a business built almost entirely on unpaid social media from day one, drawing thousands of visitors back to the Queen V site every month. In addition, Queen V Fashion House has piqued the imaginations of fashion bloggers who help bring the Queen V story to life.
In 2014, Fallon was a finalist for the Chamber of Commerce Paragon Award in the Young Entrepreneur of the Year category. She was also nominated for the 2014 YWCA Women of Distinction Award in the category of Entrepreneurship & Innovation. But there is more ahead for this traveller. Fallon Huffman is looking to the future with her eyes wide open, her vision fixed on the sustainable growth of the Queen V brand.
“Learning what it takes to be a sustainable business is about understanding and managing risk, managing relationships and walking fearlessly and unapologetically. Our community has a way to go towards understanding how to build an entrepreneurial economy.”
“Local businesses help create a vibrant and unique municipal culture. In order for our city to thrive – we need to support local restaurants, boutiques and shops. ‘Every time you are spending your money, you are casting a vote for the world you want to live in,’ she says, quoting Anna Lappé - a widely respected author and educator.
“Queen V is part of a greater vision. To have the freedom to live in that vision is part hustle and grind, part strategy and part courage. We are a force in the Saskatchewan retail world, and we hope to inspire people to expect and seek out creative and innovative style that local businesses bring to the market.”
Queen V Fashion House
#101 - 1118 Broad Street
Regina, Saskatchewan
306.206.1331
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thank you for reading "Sky Writing". Your comments are most welcome.
- Lynn Armstrong, Publisher