We recently connected with Samantha Montgomery and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Samantha, thanks for joining us today. How did you come up with the idea for your business?

I created the boutique in answer to what I’ve always looked for, timeless accessories that are as aesthetically pleasing as they are functional. I wanted to offer women custom options that allow them to choose what suits and compliments their personal style. I was bored seeing the same accessories over and over again and wanted some uniqueness and vibrancy. I design each accessory with a minimalist intention of not only having multiple style options but also to help eliminate the amount of clutter and weight we carry around each day. I don’t like to get bored with my accessories so the more options I can get out of an item the more often I’ll use it! This also helps to eliminate excessive spending, especially on multiples of similar products, which I was certainly guilty of in the past. I’m a city chick and a walker so eliminating bad daily habits like an overstuffed tote bag which causes neck and back pain is very important to me. I imagine it is to other women as well, but even a woman that doesn’t care about minimalism can find benefit in a well-designed bag that offers her multiple style options and leads to healthier habits.

Samantha, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I fell in love with bold, vibrant prints at an early age being raised in a West African family. I later sustained that love through traveling. By the time I began the Boutique I already had a small collection of authentic African prints and other beautiful fabrics to choose from. I wanted the Boutique to offer what I’ve always looked for, well made accessories that are as aesthetically pleasing as they are timeless, unique and versatile. However, being a pandemic born business, the Boutique originally began by offering a more stylish and uplifting alternative to the daily face mask, (the necessary accessory). These face masks were vibrant, adjustable and reversible with built-in filter pockets and two layers of interfacing. Creating them is how I taught myself how to sew and over time I developed those skills to include other accessories. The Boutique Life collection now offers clutches, wallets, tote bags, wraps, wine bags, earrings, glasses case, bow ties, aprons, headband-bookmarks and more! Most of these are designed with built-in versatility to allow customers to get more use out of their accessories. To be able to do more with less is the boutiques guiding principle and the expression “More Style, Less Clutter” refers to its minimalist design concept. The Boutique was officially established in March of 2021 and since then I’ve had my accessories in several local shops, had several bulk orders including business to business custom orders and my accessories have been featured in a local lookbook and style magazine. I make all of my accessories myself here in Baltimore City and was able to maintain weekly pop up markets which sustained me as a self-employed business owner for most of 2022! I plan to continue to add new items as well as update original designs to improve function and allow for more versatility. The Boutique is continuing to grow and I am very excited for what comes next!

Okay – so how did you figure out the manufacturing part? Did you have prior experience?

No. I make all of my products myself in my sew studio at Open Works, a shared maker space in Baltimore City. I began the business at home in 2020 with a sewing machine I bought the previous year to teach myself how to sew but never did. I decided to learn by making face masks to contribute to care packages a friend was putting together for a local women’s shelter. This added a lot of pressure to learning something new but it got me out of my funk and out of the bed each day during quarantine. I started with a small fabric collection I owned which helped to reduce my start up cost and slowly built up an inventory of supplies based on what I needed and had the skills for in that moment. I set up a product assembly line in my living room based on each stage of production from cutting and sewing to packaging and shipping. Because I had limited supplies, especially fabrics, I had to be very efficient with every pattern cut since I used each fabric for multiple items. I used fabric scraps to create my Headband-Bookmarks as well as bow ties, and used some supplies, like the elastic gold bands for multiple accessories. I later learned to make my own crossbody straps and resin purse handles to reduce supply cost and other manufacturing issues including delays. I bought a label maker and printed my own labels for my bags and glasses case and then began designing and printing my own business cards. I adjusted for efficiency and cost each time I reached a point in my process where I had done enough research, knew what I wanted and could quickly learn how to do it. My goal is to eventually have a small in-house team of makers that will help to speed up production and expand my business, but each year I build on previous skills and learn how to make my products more efficiently and that has been very satisfying

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

I had to unlearn a lie I told myself which was that I was not good at learning new things now that I’m getting older and that I didn’t have the patience for it. Over the years I’ve taken several classes to learn how to sew, and while they were fun I didn’t really learn how to make any of the items myself. I bought several books on sewing and tried to study them but it was only when I began to teach myself to make face mask that I got it, I am a hands-on learner. When I started I did some research and watched some videos but it was only when I put all of that aside and just did it, even when I felt like I didn’t know what I was doing, that I figured it out. Even through the frustration of learning something new my passion only grew stronger and it expanded to include other aspects of sewing including design and sewing with different kinds of textiles. Now I was excited!! I still use my books and videos whenever I get stuck, But the best part is that I started on something new that I didn’t know how to do which is why I’m stuck, and that still makes me smile.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://shoptheboutiquelife.com
• Instagram: @theboutiquelifebysdm