Today we’d like to introduce you to Kenzie O’connell Kaitlin Johnson
Hi Kenzie O’Connell, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Hi!
We are Kaitlin and Kenzie, we are sisters and co-owners of K & Company Boutique and Gift. Our little boutique is located on Main Street in the small town of New London, MN. We love this little town, it is where we were raised and graduated from, it truly has our hearts! In the spring of 2023, we were both feeling burn-out from our health-care related jobs and looking for something more uplifting. That is when we decided to start K & Co! We remodeled our store-front space with the help of our parents. Our dad is a handy-man and built all of our fixtures, fitting rooms, and shelving. In July 2023, we were ready to open! Our goal since the beginning is to offer size-inclusive clothing for women of all sizes. When we select merchandise for our boutique, we make sure that every style we bring in comes in all sizes, at least Small-3XL. We even have select styles that come in XS and up to 6x. As plus size women ourselves, we felt this was something very important for rural Minnesota. Finding a large selection of plus size clothing can be challenging. The best part of our job is when groups of sisters or friends of all sizes come in to shop and they can all shop together in one place!
We also have an online store. You can find us at shopkandco.com. Our online shop offers the exact same inclusive feel. Here too, all styles are in at least Small-3XL with select styles in XS and up to 6XL. Our website offers features that make shopping easier, such as the ability to filter for sizes. We use models of various sizes so customers can see the clothing on different body types. We also take notes on the fit of all items to help customers select the correct size. It is a labor of love, but we feel it is so helpful for women, especially those with plus size bodies like us.
In addition to our store front and our online store, we also have a mobile boutique. We love to load up and take our boutique to neighboring towns, and cities farther away. This gives us the opportunity to meet so many of our customers and get to spread the word about our size-inclusive offerings. We are blessed that our dad was able to custom build our mobile racks so we can easily roll them into almost any location. We have set up in schools, churches, garages, community centers, and private homes for both large craft fairs and private parties. If you’re interested in hosting a private party (with host perks) for a group of friends of all sizes, contact us at [email protected].
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The biggest challenge we have faced is sourcing brands that offer their styles in the range of sizes we need. We have only bought merchandise from brands that carry a minimum of Small-3XL, something that is rare to come by for clothing brands. We have held ourselves to this standard because we have felt the frustrations as a plus size shopper, the fashion industry isn’t built to cater to the range of sizes that women deserve. Due to this, there have been many times where we have found clothing pieces we’d love to bring into our store, but haven’t because the range of sizes aren’t available. It can also be difficult to find pieces that will be flattering on all sizes. We pay attention to details, especially details that are important to women in plus sized bodies. There are a few brands that do offer the range of sizes that we need, and we have fallen in love with their offerings and have built great relationships with them. We plan to continue these relationships and offering these brands. The best part is that most of these brands are small women-owned companies; we love supporting other businesses like us!
We’ve been impressed with K & Company, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
One of our favorite things is getting to work with each other. We love going to work every day and working together. We are constantly on the phone with each other late at night ordering new merchandise. We text all day long about products, how we can help customers, and what we can do to better serve women of all sizes. We get to celebrate every win together, from small to big. We celebrate every in-store purchase and online order together. Our favorite is when we get to call each other and celebrate how we were able to help someone find an outfit that flatters their body and makes them feel good in their own skin. What a blessing it is to lift others up!
We enjoy sourcing local brands. We are always on the hunt for Minnesota Made clothing merchandise as well as Minnesota made gifts, accessories, and home items that we can stock our store with.
We want all of our customers to feel beautiful when they walk out of our store. We want everyone to know that it doesn’t matter the size of your body, you are worthy! You don’t have to follow the latest fashion trends, you just have to wear what you love and what you feel good in!
What are your plans for the future?
When looking to the future, we are excited about continuing to offer a place for women of all sizes to shop together. We are looking forward to the summer, when our local community of lakes and cabins starts to hustle and bustle. We love getting to see summer visitors each summer. We are also looking forward to finding more brands that offer the range of sizes we need, and more Minnesota made products.
We are very active on social media. You can find us on facebook at facebook.com/kandcompanynewlondon, join our VIP group for sneak peaks, early access, and behind the scenes. Find us on instagram at instagram.com/kandcompanynewlondon.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://shopkandco.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/kandcompanynewlondon
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/kandcompanynewlondon
- Other: [email protected]
