Fall Fashion 29
Ponte Vedra Recorder · October 22, 2015
Rochelle’s celebrates 30 years of First Coast fashion
Kelly H. McDermott
The Recorder
Rochelle’s Clothing has been a St.
Augustine mainstay for more than
three decades – a credential that few
independent clothing retailers in the
historic city can boast.
Its success comes with good reason.
The
independently-owned
boutique is operated with care and
enthusiasm, and it shows in every aspect of the store: from the building
that houses it to the fashion lines that
it stocks in its selection of women’s
apparel.
“We like having a good time in here,
and when people come in and they’re
not feeling that great or they’re nervous about something coming up, it’s
so great that by the time they leave –
whether it’s 10 minutes or two hours
– they find things that make them so
happy,” said owner Karen Rochelle.
When you take a look at the company’s history, the success of Rochelle’s seems meant to be, from its
founders’ romantic backstory to the
whimsical choice of St. Augustine as
the base of operations.
Karen Rochelle founded Rochelle’s
with her husband and high school
sweetheart, Tom, more than 30 years
ago. They began dating as young
teenagers, and when they entered the
work force is separate capacities, Rochelle said it simply “seemed wrong
to be apart all the time.”
“We decided to start our own business,” Rochelle said. She had been
working for a CPA firm when they
made their choice. “We decided one
day on clothing – but we had no
background in clothing.”
The couple hailed from East Tennessee, and decided to open a boutique with no previous fashion retail
experience after having only visited
St. Augustine once.
“We’d been to St. Augustine and
we’d fallen in love with it,” Rochelle
said. “We were from a small town, so
we knew that living here would be
fabulous.”
The couple visited St. Augustine as
part of a meandering road trip to Mississippi for a wedding, Rochelle said.
“We went down the coast to visit
cousins in Ocala,” Rochelle said. “We
came down and swung by St. Augustine one night. We always remembered what a fabulous, magical place
it is.”
After renting space in the same
building for 15 years, the Rochelle’s
lease expired, prompting the business to purchase the location where
it sits now at 104 Anastasia Blvd. in
St. Augustine.
“It’s a cool place – an old sign studio with a lot of atmosphere,” said
Rochelle. Unlike leased spaces that
have a lot of turnover, the location
had only two previous owners and
maintains a “family vibe,” Rochelle
said. The building, complete with
a loft and many original elements,
houses the boutique’s ever-changing
inventory of clothing and accessories.
“Our inventory gets bigger and bigger and bigger,” said Rochelle.
“It’s matured somewhat, in the
sense that our customer base has
shifted along with us. We started with
a college following, but it’s always
been across the board. But in a lot of
ways, (the business) hasn’t changed
at all!”
Rochelle’s keeps to its college
roots, though, by employing a staff of
college students.
“That’s been a fun thing,” Rochelle
said. “They bring a youthful edge
and they always step up. We’ve had
wonderful employees: hard workers,
knowledgeable, smart.”
In addition to offering many options in women’s apparel, Rochelle’s
hosts public and private events. The
boutique offers trunk shows and parties to promote lines and seasons, as
well as being available for private
booking parties – usually five to 12
ladies, Rochelle said.
“We enjoy hosting people who are
celebrating – a birthday or a girls’
night out,” Rochelle said. The shop
includes an area for photoshoots
and can provide champagne or other
treats for get-togethers.
Rochelle’s is open seven days a
week, Mon. and Tue ˈ LH