In honor of DIANI's tenth anniversary we asked Owner & Buyer, Caroline, to share ten fun facts you may not know about DIANI. Scroll down for the inside scoop!
DIANI Owner & Buyer, Caroline Diani
DIANI Boutique lifestyle inspiration
1. Tell us a little about the lifestyle/inspiration board above. It was the "launch point" for what I imagined the DIANI brand to be. To this day it continues to be a source of inspiration. I also created several other boards you can view here and here!
2. How did you feel the first day you opened, were you scared/excited/etc? I remember feeling really exited but frustrated because I didn't have all the inventory I wanted. I was still in the process of ordering from designers I liked and because I opened in the middle of a season, I was scrambling to find merchandise. I wasn't expecting to find the perfect space as quickly as I did!
3. What was the first item you sold, or your first customer? I don't remember exactly, but one of my first sales was a Nicole Farhi cape cardigan that I sold to a dear customer, Robin Bartling. She's still a dear customer and still has that piece, I think.
4. Is there a designer we've carried here since day one? Nicole Farhi
5. Do you remember the first publication you advertised in? Santa Barbara Magazine. The magazine really helped get our name out into the community.
6. What made you realize, or when did you realized you wanted to expand into online retail? It happened pretty soon after opening, but, as with everything, it took time to design and build the site. We were getting a lot of out-of-town customers who wanted that convenience, but also convinced us that there were so many people in other states who didn't have access to boutiques like DIANI. I also have quite a following in England since I'm from there. It's amazing how much the site has grown and how many countries we ship to now. I'm exited to launch our new and improved site this month. A double celebration!
7. What's the best part of having a business? Really, the best part has been creating a family of brilliantly talented and beautiful souls. I came about this thinking it was all about the clothes and honestly it's about the relationships and nurturing them.
8. Where do you get inspiration from? Customers inspire me. We have such savvy women who shop with us. I also love traveling and taking the time to sit and observe the locals. It's how I'm able to identify and predict trends.
9. What's next? That's a great question. We'll see, but I'm really loving my blog, dianiliving.com. It's such a fun creative outlet and is allowing me to catalogue my life in a really cool way.
10. If you had to pick one thing that you learned from running a business, what would that be? Patience. I've always been a hard worker, but patience has never been my forte. You have to have it in order to succeed. Sticking with the vision, even if it doesn't always go your way or happen on your schedule is key, I think.
