In the sea of local boutiques, it’s difficult to find larger than a size 12 on the racks. But now, an LSU alumna is offering more to Baton Rouge shoppers.
April Perkins owns April Mae — an online boutique dedicated to dressing plus-sized women. It was born out of her frustration with finding affordable clothing that complemented her curves. The idea led her to develop the brand.
“It was difficult to find cute and affordable clothing because I was a curvier girl, and I think that every woman should be able to find cute clothes and not spend an arm and a leg,” Perkins said.
Perkins received her bachelor’s degree in fashion merchandising in 2012. The young designer said she credits the university for many of the experiences that led to opening her boutique.
“I remember being at LSU, and every semester on the first day of class we would have to stand up and introduce ourselves,” she said. “This got me out of being shy, and I developed the confidence to open my store.”
The budding designer also credits LSU with teaching her how to develop a target market and catering to her customers, she said.
Perkins drew inspiration from her mother, who she says has always had an “impeccable” fashion sense, and she also credits designer Elie Saab.
The online boutique features clothing vendors from Dallas, Atlanta and select featured items from Michael Kors.
The boutique’s name carries a personal touch too. April is Perkins’ first name, and Mae came from her grandmother’s name, Wille Mae.
Catering to local LSU students, Perkins studied what shoppers wanted. She said she took time in between the online stores’ February opening date to perfect clothing selections and to please more of her LSU market.
Perkins said she aims to expand her reach.
“My boutique will become international, so I can dress curvy girls around the world,” she said.