We were lucky to catch up with Olivia Pyle recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Olivia thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Being a business owner can be really hard sometimes. It’s rewarding, but most business owners we’ve spoken sometimes think about what it would have been like to have had a regular job instead. Have you ever wondered that yourself? Maybe you can talk to us about a time when you felt this way?

I am happy as a business owner, though it is one of the most difficult and challenging things I have ever done. Knowing I am truly changing women’s lives is worth everything to me. It was a huge life change to decide to buy and take over Qurves. It was a very quick and sudden decision, as i was the model for the store for almost 6 years, and built an entire modeling career from it. I was always loyal to the brand that started it for me. So when the owner (like my second mom at this point) said she was selling it. It felt exactly right. Everything fell into place and I knew it was what I was meant to do. Every day is a struggle running everything myself and wearing all the hats. But I know a store like this is absolutely needed and worth putting all of my love, time and energy into it. To create a place for the plus size community to finally feel like they belong, and have an entire store to shop, instead of just being shunned to the back of a store to shop a small out of style plus size section. I have truly never been so passionate about something, let alone something that just happened to find me. Thats why I am truly happier as a business owner.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I moved to Los Angeles on my own right after graduating HS, from SLC Utah in 2017. To go to makeup school. I have always been a very creative person with a true passion for helping other women feel and see their own beauty. I went to a makeup school in Burbank CA, and I loved every minute of being a makeup artist, doing fashion shows, editorials, commercials, weddings, and even doing one on one makeup lessons. I then soon fell into the fashion/modeling industry by pure chance. Looking back at it now, I was always very much into expressing myself through fashion just as much as I was with makeup, but unfortunately I wasn’t able to do so due to very limited clothing options for my size. One day, I was stopping into thrift shops selling my grandpas old clothes after he passed. I saw a cute little store that had a sticker in the window saying plus size clothing so I immediately walked in. I was truly in awe and in love with what I found. Clothing that was on trend, reasonably priced and actually fit me! I felt so at home in that store, and overjoyed at the opportunity to find clothes I actually wanted to wear. The owner and I clicked right away, she was so kind and saw my potential. That day (after I spent over 3 hours in the store, and bought as many things as I possibly could) she asked me to model for the store, and from that day on I continued to model for Qurves, on a biweekly basis for almost 6 years. I then did a complete 180 and launched myself into an entire modeling career from that. Something I never thought I would ever be capable of, or that I ever thought I could even do being a plus size. I barely saw any plus size representation growing up in Utah, and I most definitely stood out from the skinny, blonde haired, blue eyed crowd in my town. I formed a very strong bond with Qurves as a whole and discovered an overwhelming passion for being that representation for plus size women that I never had. Inspiring other women to dress how they want to dress, discover true confidence and to learn the feeling of belonging in a skinny dominated fashion world. In January 2024 the owner (who I developed a very close relationship with over the years) told me she was going to sell Qurves. I knew immediately this was what I was meant to do. Walking into that store years ago, was with out a doubt the universe putting me where I was supposed to be. I immediately reached out to my family and scraped together all I could to buy the Qurves brand. I had to move the location of the store, and I wanted to stay in the Burbank area, close to the original location. The location I chose wasn’t the most ideal, but it was affordable and safe in the short notice I had. It needed A LOT of work, but I was willing to put in the work so this store could live on. My family and I banded together, worked long 12 to sometimes 16 hour days and completely transformed this once airplane parts shop into a beautiful store in less than a month. I am beyond grateful I had the help and support of my amazing family. I officially reopened the store on my 25th birthday on Feb. 24th. Running this business on my own has been extremely challenging, and full of mental, physical and financial stress, but it is also extremely rewarding. Getting to see costumers come in and experience what I felt when I first discovered the store that ultimately changed my life. A place for women to have the options and opportunities to express themselves in a way they’ve always wanted to but were never able. A shopping experience that is completely out of the norm, no more having to go to the back of a store to look through a small and outdated plus size section. Shunned to a life of ill-fitted florals and the classic old lady attire. I have been shopping in those sections of stores since I was 11 years old. I was never able to dress how my friends were dressing, and even as an adult, having to search far and wide for clothing I so desperately want to wear but can never find in my size. Qurves will change the way plus size and curvy women shop for clothing. I hand pick every style in the store and try and find the best of the best within the current options for plus sizes. My goal is to truly make a difference for plus size women and revolutionize the way women view fashion. Being a model for over 5 years and getting to work with other plus size and size inclusive companies, I have learned so much about the industry. I am able to choose clothing options women actually want to wear and know how to style all body types that come in.
Qurves is one of 3 plus size exclusive stores in all of Los Angeles. (Not including the big companies like torrid or Layne Bryant, that charge an arm and a leg for absolutely no reason other than they can)
I will always try and keep my prices as low as possible, to make clothes shopping just as affordable as it is for straight sizes. All women deserve to dress how they want to and feel confident exactly as they are. I strive to continue to inspire confidence and help the plus size community find what they’ve been looking for.

How do you keep in touch with clients and foster brand loyalty?

My customers are very important to me. The people who choose to come shop at Qurves are choosing to go out of their way to shop in person instead of just ordering online. Online is one of the only main shopping options for plus size women, and it’s beyond frustrating. So getting my customers to come in store and try things on is imperative. I keep a personal book of all my customers names and phone numbers. Anytime I receive a new arrival that I know one of my customers would love or is something they’ve told me they’re looking for I personally text them letting them know. I have also started a loyalty program to give back to my loyal customer base. Instagram is my main platform to keep in touch with my customers so I always make sure to reply to all of my DMs and comments. I also do personalized stories showcasing my new arrivals every Friday. My customers can look forward to hearing me chat and show off the new things. I also tell all of my customers they can message me to hold a certain item for them. Everything I get is very limited stock so it’s always a first come first serve situation. It’s the little things that truly matter to me and makes a world
Of a difference.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

Choosing to run an entire business on my own was a huge life switch up and adjustment for me. I have only been open for about 6 months, but even in that time I have most definitely experienced what it really takes to make it happen. Choosing this location was definitely my main downfall, as I have almost no foot traffic or street visibility. I figured since I bought an existing business that the customer base would follow. That has not been the case. I was originally expecting at least 50% of the customers base to follow me to the new location, and so far it’s only been about 20-30%. A lot of the customers weren’t on instagram or weren’t following. So a huge majority of those customers would go to the old location thinking it’s still there and seeing it’s just gone. Unfortunately I am unable to put a sign at the old location to tell people qurves still exists, just in a new place. I haven’t been making the numbers I was expecting to make or bring in, not even close. So I have had to learn patience and perseverance. Continuing to work on social media and getting the word out there. It can be very very hard coming to the store every day all by myself and having not one person walk in the door, sometimes for days on end. I’m constantly worried I made a huge mistake, but at the end of the day I know I didn’t. I know this kind of store is very very needed, and I do believe that if you build it they will come. Reminding myself everyday all of the constant hard work, missed family & friends events, and late nights will be worth all of the women I’ll be able to help and make an impact on.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://shopqurves.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/qurvesboutique/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100057524136039&name=xhp_nt__fb__action__open_user

Image Credits

Joseph Ascioti