Lake Mary Life Magezine: Rich Hippie

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IT TAKES MAYBE THREE SECONDS TO GET HOOKED at Rich Hippie. Rack after rack of vibrant, touch-me-now dresses, blouses, pants, and scarves in coral, turquoise, and lime hues fill the cozy boutique. Maybe it’s the classic rock music. Maybe it’s the one-of-a-kind boots and accessories that beckon. One thing’s for sure -the personal approach of the friendly fashionistas at Rich Hippie had made shopping fun again.

This month, owner Jean Gasperoni, who travels to Los Angeles, New York, Atlanta, and Miami to find her unique merchandise, is celebrating two years of bringing back the exclusive boutique for hundreds of happy clients.

When a customer arrives to Rich Hippie, she is invited to relax on the couch and enjoy a cup of joe. The staff then spends some time listening to the customer to learn about her preferences. Next, she can head to the dressing room, kick off her shoes, and wait for the staff to bring carefully-selected items to her.

“We want you to feel like you’re in your own home,” Jean explains.

The pleasant, stress-free, commission-free experience is a hit with clients. One customer drives over from Tampa every weekend. Others fly in from Miami or Los Angeles. The team recently hosted a busload of women from The Villages.

It’s not rare for the Rich Hippie staff to run to the parking lot, and pass clothes through the car window to on-the-go clients.

“We have customers who arrive in a panic because they need an outfit for a date that night,” Jean laughs. “We especially love it when they come back and tell us about the date.’

While still in her early 20s, Jean owned a chain of stores called Jessica Rose Boutique. She became the youngest person to make the cover of the Orlando Business Journal. When she opened her current boutique, Jean chose the name Rich Hippie because she believes that being rich encompasses more than just money.

“The clothes are hippie because they are very colorful, expressive, and comfortable, and rich because they are high in meaning and value,” says Jean, who travels around the world to handpick fashions for Rich Hippie. “The clothes have to be very unique both in color and style, high quality, feel good to the touch, and be low maintenance.”

With an average price point of $60, the clothes range from size small to 1X. In addition, the boutique offers layaway, if needed.

“We have something for everyone,” Jean says. “A teenager can come in with her mom and grandmother, and everyone can leave with a fabulous new wardrobe.”

Rich Hippie carries up to 80 fashion lines at a time, and receives shipments daily. The team loads up on inventory to give customers plenty of selection.

“We do like to get one size run of each item because we know that our customers don’t want to have the same outfit as everyone else in town,” Jean says.

In addition to helping customers feel confident about their clothing, Rich Hippie raises thousands of dollars for charitable organizations through fashion shows.

“We love making people happy,” Jean adds with a smile. “When you strut out of here, you will feel like a queen.”

Located at 1094 Montagomery Road in Altamonte Springs, Rich Hippie is open Monday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00p.m. You can reach the staff at (407) 682-7969.

–Ashley Cisneros
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Ashley Cisneros is a co-founder of Chatter Buzz Media, an Orlando Internet marketing firm that helps companies and organizations engage with their target markets through inbound marketing via the Internet. Chatter Buzz Media, which won the Social Madness competition for the Orlando small business market, is a full-service digital marketing firm specializing in website design, search engine optimization (SEO), social media marketing and content creation. Prior to founding Chatter Buzz, Ashley worked as a newspaper reporter, magazine editor, technical writer, marketing manager, public relations practitioner and freelance journalist. To see Ashley’s content writing, visit www.ashleycisneros.com. You can also reach Ashley on her Google profile.

By | 2017-04-28T07:32:26+00:00 March 1st, 2012|Categories: Blog, Samples|Tags: , , |0 Comments

About the Author:

Ashley Cisneros Mejia is a journalist, entrepreneur and marketer. She began her career as a newspaper reporter and later as an editor at Florida Trend business magazine. Ashley has worked as a professional freelance writer since 2009, as a technical writer, marketing manager, and public relations practitioner. She also founded two digital marketing agencies in Orlando. Named one of Orlando’s 40 Under 40 and honored by the Women’s Executive Council of Orlando for achievements in media and communications, Ashley earned a B.S. in Journalism and an M.S. in Entrepreneurship at the University of Florida.

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