My first experience at a bevello boutique was in Wilmington, NC at Mayfaire Town Center.  I had spotted a must-have dress from favorite designer Judith March on a woman the previous night at a fabulous fashion show.  She willingly confessed her find location, so it became my mission to seek it out.  

My girlfriend Beth and I made our inaugural trek to bevello and instantly fell in love not only with the merchandise but with the staff.  At first full store perusal, I didn’t spot my coveted Judith March dress.  Then my fairy godmother appeared in the form of the sales manager.  Once I shared my mission she headed to the back stockroom and reappeared with a bounty of treasures.  The very dress I came in search of had been pulled from the sales floor and boxed up to ship off with other end of summer merchandise.  It was my lucky day!  And a true testament to one of the company’s many mission statements. bevello gave me the respect I deserved and the help I needed, while making my time a fun, no-hassle experience.

The Fashion Plate in the Judith March destiny dress on the left.

I caught up with Chan Namgong, bevello founder, president and CEO.

As a fashion writer and former stylist I am inspired by the birth of bevello.  Can you tell readers how it evolved?
bevello was a ready-to-wear only boutique when we first opened.  Since then, we’ve added shoes, accessories, giftables, and undergarments so bevello can be a one stop shopping destination.  We have a wonderful buying team that sources the latest fashion items from all over the country.  We want to be on top of our customers’ minds when it comes to shopping.  We can dress them head to toe, and we want them to look pretty and feel pretty. 

Do I understand correctly that you have a degree from Carolina?  What is your fashion background and connection to Chapel Hill?
I’m a class of ‘07 with an undergraduate business administration degree.  I absolutely loved my time at Carolina.  Fashion is just my personal passion, and bevello was actually created when I was junior at Carolina.  I wrote my first bevello business plan then and used the same plan when I launched bevello in 2009.  I was very excited to open our Franklin Street store in 2011, and it’s doing very well.  I only wish that we had a bigger store! 

At bevello the founding principle is as follows: “The love you get is the air you breathe.  Love your life, love your friends, love your clothes.” Who doesn’t love that mantra?!  It’s a code I live by.

Of the 13 bevello boutiques in NC, Virginia and Texas we are lucky enough to have one right here in Chapel Hill!  Let me introduce you to store manager Clair Shaw.

Your mission statements speak volumes!  Love your life, love your friends, love your clothes is my own personal mantra.  Explain how they started and how your team is meeting those goals.
We have been meeting these goals by delivering excellent customer service. We really enjoy when people come in and love to help our clients complete an outfit.  It really makes us happy when we see a smiling client walk out of our store.  Knowing that our service made them happy means a lot to us.

The Chapel Hill store was an explosion of color when I walked in recently.  What have been your favorite summer styles and what can we look forward to this fall?  
My favorite styles have definitely been the tunics we get in all seasons.  Ellison Tunics are always so versatile.  You can tuck them into some fabulous, fun colored denim or wear them loose. Our fall line is very fun!  We have a lot of unique blends in tops, as well as awesome colored Hudson denim.

A university town like ours always begins to bustle with traffic as the end of summer approaches.  What special events did you plan as the students and parents arrived and how do you handle the increased traffic?
We had a Style Out Event the week of August 17-25.  If you made a complete outfit (ex. shoes, jewelry, tops, pants, or a dress) you got 15% of the entire purchase!!  It was a great deal and a great way to get all the outfits girls need for rush and tons of other school events.

The bevello excitement builds!  What can fashionista fans expect next?
You can expect LOTS of fun fall colors.  We have this new line called Mink Pink that a lot of women have been going for!  It includes sweaters and really fun vibrant tops.

It will be interesting to see where else bevello plans to launch boutiques or if the southern U.S. remains their landmark calling.

Like bevello on Facebook and you can enter a chance to win a store gift certificate.

Another bevello mission statement:  “When you shop at bevello, we want you to feel loved.  It is our mission to help you dress your best and feel your best wherever you go.  You won’t just be our beloved customers, but also the beloved of everyone who lays eyes on you.”

Sold!  Visit and feel the love today at bevello on Franklin Street.  Share a bevello experience below.