BleuBelle Boutique and Savannah Fashion Week

I first met Heather Kaney Burge when I was a student at Georgia Southern looking to transfer to UGA: I was doing a tour of Athens and the campus with my mother when we decided to do some shopping downtown. As fate would have it, I stepped in to Encore Boutique and met Heather- she was an ADPi like myself and we got to talking. She told me of her plans to open her own boutique either in Statesboro or Savannah. Well, fate stepped in again and she choose Savannah. BlueBelle Boutique is one of THE hottest boutiques in Savannah- and one I have kept my eyes on for some time. I have not made it down to Savannah in several years but have noticed the fashion scene just keeps getting bigger and bigger. When you have someone like Andre Leon Talley curating an exhibit for your local arts school (aka SCAD- Savannah College of Art and Design) then you have a pretty big thing going on.

So, I knew I had to reach out to Heather. Luckily, she remembered me from several years ago and was more than happy to oblige my interview request. I will get right to it.

Make It Work Molly: When we first met in Athens, you knew at that time you would be opening a boutique – I remember you saying either in Statesboro or Savannah. Why Savannah?

Heather Kaney Burge: I love that you can remember that! From working at Encore in Athens and the apparel mart in Atlanta, I knew my senior year of college that I was meant to work in retail.  In the second semester of my senior year, I decided to write my business plan for opening a boutique, with the most important decision being the location.  I visited Savannah on Spring Break that year, and I realized that many of the designers that sold well at market and other cities similar to Savannah were not represented.  For example, when I first opened we carried Lilly Pulitzer, Lacoste, and TONS of designer denim such as 7 for all Mankind.  Now we carry many of the top designers such as DVF, Tory Burch, Milly, alice + olivia, and, of course we still have lots of great denim from dl1961, 7 for all Mankind, and Joe’s.

Also, I have always loved Savannah, and I knew that it would be the perfect home for me and my family for the rest of our lives. My husband, Roger, loves to fish, so being near the water is perfect for him!

MIWM: When did you first know you wanted to do this?

HKB: I actually had the first thought of opening a boutique of some kind while interning in NYC at NARS cosmetics in Public Relations. In fact, the name, concept and design were originally intended for a cosmetic store (I LOVE makeup)!!  But, there was already a great makeup boutique in Savannah at the time, and working at the apparel mart gave me much more experience and confidence in the apparel world.  I find that when I make decisions, I work very quickly, so I opened BleuBelle in Savannah three months after graduation in 2003. 
MIWM: Where did you get the name BleuBelle from?

HKB: Everyone asks this, but it literally just popped into my head while I was in NYC, and it stuck. It means “Beautiful Blue” in French, and I loved that it had a Southern connotation to it as well.  Also, it doesn’t hurt that we carry tons of “blue” jeans, either.  It really suits everything about my vision of creating a fun, approachable shopping experience with a clothing mix of French and Southern sophistication. 
MIWM: When you expanded in to bridal, what made you make that decision?

HKB: I got married in 2005, and I loved every single aspect of wedding planning, particularly finding the dress as you can imagine!  I wanted so badly to find my gown in Savannah, but once again the designers I was interested in were not represented here (Vera Wang, Carolina Herrera, Reem Acra, etc).  So once again my mind was racing, and the vision of BleuBelle Bridal was created.  I knew that it was the perfect next step as our existing BleuBelle customers would have both the perfect experience and selection that they needed in finding their wedding gown.

MIWM: Tell us a little bit about Savannah Fashion Week. It seems like Savannah is a growing mecca for young fashion designers because of SCAD and Andre Leon Talley’s involvement, can you elaborate?

HKB: I am SO excited about Savannah Fashion Week, as it just keeps getting better and better every year!  This year, we will be having a week of events in the different shopping districts in Savannah leading up to the finale fashion show at the Lucas Theatre on Thursday, May 17.  BleuBelle will be hosting a DVF Trunk Show on Monday, May 14 along with Glow MedSpa and J Paige on the islands.  Tuesday will be the stores in the Downtown Design District and Bull Street (Custard, Trunk 13, Red Clover, Cate Lyon, and Fabrika).  Wednesday will be the stores along Broughton Street such as Zia, Fab’rik, See Jane, Haberdashery, and Civvies.  The fashion show itself is going to be AMAZING this year as we have added some really cool production elements.  Tickets are already selling really quickly, and we do expect to sell out again this year.  You can get tickets at scadboxoffice.com.

As for fashion in Savannah, it is truly amazing! In fact, Travel & Leisure readers ranked Savannah as #3 in the country for Independent Boutiques.  I definitely think SCAD has had a major impact by bringing such great designers as DVF, Marc Jacobs, and now Ralph Rucci to Savannah through the senior show and the ALT award each year.  I have had the honor of being on the jury to select the seniors that show in the fashion show for several years now, and let me just tell you – they are TALENTED!  Even designers like Chris Benz are inspired by our city, as his Fall 2011 collection was based on Savannah. 

MIWM: Where do you see fashion in Savannah heading next? Do you see Savannah growing in to another NYC? Perhaps with a Southern twist? It seems like Savannah is very much the quintessential Southern town so it’s interesting to see fashion growing the way that it is.

HKB: I think in fashion, there are certain regional differences that become inspiring to many as they look to take the designs of the past and freshen them up with a modern look.  For example, with all of the music festivals out west such as Coachella, there is a very particular look (hippie-chic, loose hair, shorts, lots of layered inexpensive-looking but probably very expensive bracelets, gladiator sandals, etc) that is prevalent and inspires people across the country.  New York has this uptown, classic, paired-down feel that people embrace when they want to feel smart, successful, and  “in style.” 

What I think makes the south special is that we have our very own look or style that people are fascinated by, and Savannah is the quintessential southern city to showcase this look.  I feel like southern women like to feel pretty, colorful, and unique, yet we look to the styles of our southern grandmothers for inspiration with trends such as the monogram necklace (currently our most popular seller) or layers of pearls or a floral printed dress. Our traditions and events also contribute to our specific southern style, such as The Masters or sorority rush at an SEC school, where you can find preppy, bright looks that scream “the south.”

What is old is always new again in fashion, and as designers and celebrities search to find an innovative look for their collections or red carpet appearance, they are certain to be inspired by regional fashion such as Savannah “style.”  There is so much on the horizon for Savannah as people across America take interest in our sleepy little city.  I think it may be the classic, girly, southern style that draws visitors in, but when they arrive I think they will be pleasantly surprised by all of the truly artistic and eclectic boutiques and businesses that thrive in our town.  Some of my favorites include Satchel, Haberdashery, Custard, Savannah Bee, and Zia.  Bottom line, inspiration breeds creativity, which creates excitement, and I think that is what makes Savannah thrive.  I’m so lucky to be along for the ride. 

Well folks, here you have it: Heather Kaney Burge on BlueBelle, Savannah Fashion Week, and where Southern Fashion is trending. I can’t agree with her more AND I predict that “Southern Fashion” will be on the rise soon. You can see it in designers such as Milly and Tory Burch and Lilly Pulitzer. A mix of taking older patterns and styles and reworking them into a more modern, refined twist. Pair that with your grandmother’s pearls that will NEVER go out of style and you’ve got a winning Southern look!

This has been Make It Work Molly- signing off for now… and I hope to see YOU at Savannah Fashion Week… starting tomorrow!