"RHONJ" Kim D Location: New Jersey From being Bravo's 'Best Supporting Agitator' in The Real Housewives of New Jersey to being a total fashionista. Kim DePaola aka Kim D is a hardworking business woman with a passion for styling people and enjoying her time off with her 8 lovely pups. I recently had the pleasure of doing a (part 2) interview with Kim and get updates on her latest projects.
During this interview Kim shares exclusive details about being a fashion entrepreneur, styling tips, and the next steps in her career. BM: Tell me about the new Posche. KD: The new Posche is going with the times and the economy. We have a lot of new salons that are opening around the area with young clientele. So 3 quarters of the store, we are trying to do $100 and under and $50 and under. The other part of my store is for my age bracket. We are still carrying DVF and Show Me Your MuMu. We are carrying very reasonable and good quality apparel for all ages, as a matter of fact we have new DVF pieces and I now I see that with the other reasonable apparel more clients are coming in the store buying those clothes and adding to their cart DVF pieces as well as other designer lines. BM: Where does the name come from? KD: My favorite person who I look up to in the fashion industry is Victoria Beckham. I just admire everything about her, she is a phenomenal mother; she has 4 children, a magnificent husband, and her line is fabulous. The way she dresses and keeps herself is very posh. Influenced by Victoria Beckham, 7 years ago I sat in my garage floor with a friend, and we kept thinking of all different ways to spell posh. We found a cool way of spelling it and it happened to be 'Posche'. BM: What can we expect when walking into Posche? KD: It's very friendly, small and quaint as well as sparkly. As you enter you will see a sparkly desk with mirror and a black chandelier. It's almost as if you enter and are sitting inside someones living room or closet. I have one or two people working at a time - they all graduated from fashion schools and are very friendly with phenomenal styling backgrounds. BM: How long have you been a business owner? Was the fashion industry a career you always wanted to work in? KD: I've been in the industry for over 30 years. I first sold clothes when I was fifteen years old and went to working in several boutiques around the New Jersey area. After all the experience I had I decided to open my own boutique with the name of 'Kimberly's' - which about 7 years ago I changed the name to Posche. BM: Does your personal style differ from the stores aesthetic? KD: I am a very moody dresser! I find myself to have a very conservative sexy style when I go out at night - something like a tight dress. During the day, I have a very boho chic style. I am not a big tanner so my skin is pretty pale but I do love maxi dresses, jumpsuits and I really ike comfortable and baggy clothes during the day. I adore Topshop and sometimes find myself in a rocker chic outfit. Combination of things such as combat boots and all black is really my type of look. I can say I have a very eclectic and edgy side. BM: Can you take us through a day in your life as a fashion entrepreneur? KD: I can take you back all the way through last year. I remember sitting at Posche most of the day and having dinners and lunches for business with my clients. During the day I meet my clients at the store to style them. I go to the city for some buying but I also have designers come to the store and have me pick what I want for each season. I am currently working on a book and pushing for a mini series. Therefore, I am now styling once a week or by appointment. I still do the shopping and I have Kayla Robinson who graduated from LIM college shopping for the younger generation with fresh pieces as well as styling them. BM: What could you say are skills that are required to succeed as a fashion entrepreneur? KD: Let me begin with the bad news of being a fashion entrepreneur - it's really rough with this economy. I would advise other fashion entrepreneurs to be careful when opening up a store and to look into starting online businesses. I personally would like to do more online. The good news of being a successful entrepreneur is to find the right location and keep the prices reasonable. I was fortunate enough to have RHONJ to showcase my store and put it out in the map but right now I am nervous about opening boutiques. A lot of people ask me about opening a second one and for the moment I just say not yet! BM: What has been your favorite experience as a boutique owner and reality star? What has been your least favorite? KD: My favorite experience for both are the people. I am a people person and people are wonderful to me even if I was supposed to be the villan on the show. The fact that these people understand it was part of my job and that they came to the store from all over the world such as London, Australia, and Canada is breathtaking and incredible! My favorite part of meeting these amazing people is watching them act like they know me from years back. They want to buy me a drink or invite me to dinner - it's all very interesting and fun. Getting to style people and meet them is by far my most favorite moments - I enjoy styling clients and making them feel sexy and fabulous when they walk out. As a matter of fact, women ask for my advice on botox, where to get shoes, and their hair done. So I get to promote my hairstylist, nail salon, and the places I go get things done at. My least favorite are some people who not just because of the show but in retail can get crazy. Some can be very rude and nasty and others can be very know it all, but you will get these kinds of people in any kind of service. The show was such a great experience even though I am not thrilled about saying things that I said on past seasons but it was the truth and I had to bring it up. Oh, Twitter!! I find people on Twitter are insane. It is probably one of my least favorites - I have thick skin and nothing bothers me but my assistants would get so upset when at the beginning they saw what was being posted. BM: What styles do you see sell best at your boutique? KD: A lot of classics, very cool bandage dresses, and my best seller DVF. Diane Von Furstenburg is forever classic and has fresh and wearable pieces - all my clients love her! In New Jersey if you get to far-fetched people will ask where are you going with this? The more classic your look the better you are. BM: What are your favorite pieces in your store right now? KD: My favorite piece is the midi bandage tops and skirts. The skirts are anywhere from $36 to $40. When styling I like to teach women that they don’t have to wear it with all bandage; they can mix a baggy sweater with a midi bandage skirt. I love the DVF jumpsuit (Jacqueline Laurita from RHONJ currently wore) it's on my window right now. I am into the black and hot pink midi dresses past the knee, as well. BM: What styles are you looking forward to in the new spring/summer 15 collections? KD: I always wear black so it's all about the black styles. I am going crazy for the hot royal blue color and hot pink looks. The black and white with a pop of red is really glam. The colors for Fall are truly fantastic! This season I am obsessed with the jeans and the many different styles. Leather is a must-have for fall and an occasional animal print touch. BM: What craze makes you cringe? KD: Showing your stomach!! Not everyone can pull this bare it all look so it makes me cringe when someone is showing too much skin, you either show leg but don’t show boobs. I am also not crazy about big monster type shoes. Not a fan of fringe - not my thing even if I like boho looks. Crop tops are fine if you pair it with high waist jeans, skirts, shorts, etc. BM: What and who influences you when buying for your store? KD: Well when I opened it was basically what I liked and what I would wear - taking into consideration body types. I learned that it's not all about me and that I have to get to know the customers. When buying I have to consider women bodies not just for myself but for customers and what colors go and what is most wanted. I am not crazy about patterns but I do enjoy having edgy clothes but that sticks to the basics. People don’t get new trends and its better to stick with the basics. BM: How do you find new and upcoming designers? KD: I am into Alexander Wang and T by Alexander Wang. I am still looking for a great jeans line - I carried J brand for a while but no more, now I carry 7 For All Mankind. I am all about finding less expensive pieces but not sacrifice on the fabric. I buy the comfy, soft, and good quality fabric. I set my eyes on the young hot designers that are going with the time and not sacrificing the fabrics. Some of the new lines we carry are Jealous Tomato, Wow Couture, Blvd., Olivaceous, SugarLips, Rehab, and Mono B. We have a mixture of jeans, mostly skirts, shorts, tops, crop tops, rompers, kimonos, shoes we are not currently carrying but we have a couple of pairs such as Alice and Olivia. BM: We’ve seen you various times on RHONJ – do you see yourself producing your own reality show? KD: I see myself producing a mini series - not reality show, but a regular HBO series. I am currently the producer for a book and series being written called 'King Of Con' coming Fall 2015; Author is Natasha Stoynoff and Thomas Giacomaro. The stories in this book are true. I would love to get a spot as a co-producer like I am doing with the book. The RHONJ were great for me as it put my store in the map but being behind the scenes is something I enjoy. BM: Besides being the owner of such fantastic store what else do you do? Are you a designer and if so do you sell your line at your boutique? KD: I would like to be a designer. In fact, I might pair with my new assistant who graduated from LIM College. I don't draw well but she does, however I do know what I want and it would be a perfect duo. Designing a Posche line would be something I would definitely do! Currently, I design my own cuffs and sell them at the store. BM: What are some of the most favorite pieces in your store some of the housewives love when shopping? KD: The Housewives love 'Show Me Your MuMu' (Jacqueline just wore an off the shoulder cream top) and Jealous Tomato. They also love DVF and the new designers. Some of the housewives love the 7 For All Mankind jeans and the cool funky t-shirts in my store. They all have very eclectic style! BM: Can you give fashion aspiring people advice about the industry? KD: I think they should understand what a costume is and what an outfit is. Some designers are into costumes and that's fine for the runway but real women in the real world; like mothers don’t wear costumes. It's fun to see these outrages outfits on the runway but these designers should take into consideration the fact that they won't be walking down the streets being worn by real women. "I think that women as far as style goes should change their hair, go with the times, add fresh pieces to their wardrobe. Don't stick to the same routine, it will get boring - go out and experiment with make-up, outfits that will help you look younger and fresh!" - Kim DePaola To shop the latest Posche styles please visit: http://www.poschebykimd.com and follow them on social media! Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/poscheboutiquerhonj Instagram: https://instagram.com/poschebykimd/
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1/25/2018 02:09:55 am
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