We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Alicia Boehne Kelsie Smith a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alicia Boehne, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today. What was it like going from idea to execution? Can you share some of the backstory and some of the major steps or milestones?

We each owned our own boutique; one made room in her existing salon, the other in her home. We decided to join forces and go in together. Our initial idea was to have clothing for children as well as clothing and accessories for women. We wanted to make our passion for fashion a reality in our small hometown. Our dream was to have a building in the downtown district; we searched for months. While we searched we continued to run the boutique out of Salon Thairapy, Alicia’s salon, and our cars! We popped up at multiple vendor events before finally landing our brick and mortar. In November of 2021 we moved KlōTHēer out of the salon and on to Broadway.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Klotheer Boutique is a place where passion meets fashion. What started out as just a hobby for both of us has turned into a place that we love to share and grow! Owners Kelsie and Alicia come from vastly different careers but have a common love of clothing and style. Both women were born, raised, and currently live in Centralia, Illinois. We are creating a brand that we hope you love as much as we do!

After graduating from high school Alicia pursued her dream of becoming a cosmetologist. She’s been behind the chair ever since. 24 years in the beauty industry and a love of clothing has brought her to owning 2 successful businesses. KloTHēer and Salon Thairapy are both located in Centralia.

After high school, Kelsie studied at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale and continued on to get a masters in Criminal Justice Administration. She worked as a Probation Officer for 5 years before leaving her duty to be a SHAM. After the birth of her son she got a Real Estate Broker’s License. Kelsie has been with Coldwell Banker – Allen & Geary in Centralia for over 2 years. Kelsie and her husband Kory proudly welcomed a new baby to their family just last week.

Can you talk to us about how you funded your business?

We have a unique background each having owned a boutique prior. We simply merged inventories and the money that we each had within our initial businesses became the Boutique Fund. We budget well and every dollar we earn is put back into the boutique. We’ve hit all the major milestones we had hoped for in our first years; 1 year in our storefront, hiring employees, inventory, general upkeep, and even bought a trailer to make vendor events easier! We’ve been careful to not take any compensation and put all of our income back into the boutique. We’re grateful to have a loyal customer base and great community support.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

We learned quickly not to follow trends. We had to unlearn shopping what is on trend each season and learn how to shop for our target market. Frankly, spring and summer flopped. We bought items that were super trendy and aimed toward a younger customer. We learned that WE are our shopper; 30 – 40 year old moms and working women who are adventurous and/or chasing kids around, looking to be trendy and comfy.

Contact Info:

• Website: klotheer.com
• Instagram: @klotheer
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/klotheer

Image Credits
E. Kracht Photography