Today we’d like to introduce you to Shereen Loth.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I learned how to sew at a Singer sewing course that was 1 week long, when I was 14 years old. The first day, my mother picked me up from class and I told her that I wanted to be a fashion designer. From that point on through high school, I spent all of my free time and weekends, perfecting my sewing skills. I made my own clothing, my prom and formal gowns, formals for my friends to rent, and then went to a fashion design trade school for college. My main intention with this AA degree was to learn how to make patterns. In college, I found the curriculum to be not challenging enough, so I created a student body fashion show to show and sell my designs.
May 31, 1987, I graduated Brooks College with an AA in fashion design. June 1, I started the process of getting all my business documentation to be a real business. The name of my fashion show, Delicate Illusions, was the name I chose for my business. Because I did not have any money or know anything about getting financial assistance, I started in the lingerie field, driving from one fabric store to another, collection remnants that were on sale for half price.
I began designing pieces, showing them to local boutiques, writing orders, finding sourcing for materials needed, eventually, hired seamstress to come to my house and work in my den.
My business took over most of my families 4 bedroom home and half of my apartment. I then moved it to my first owned condo, I had a few seamstress come work in my garage with me.
In 1994 – 97, I had grown out of my condo, and leased my first space in Mission Viejo. That space turned to 3 spaces, including a retail store. 9 years later, I moved out of that location and purchased a building in Laguna Beach that currently houses 2 retail boutiques, a manufacturing facility downstairs, 2600 sq ft. and employees 4 full time people. Together, we manufacture for approximately 200 stores, actively, as well as sell our unique creations along with about 10 other vendors in our retail boutique at 1857 S. Coast Hwy.
We have been at this location since 2006, 19 years, and expect to be here at least another 20 years.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It has never been a smooth road, but because I am small, I am able to make quick changes. We were one of the first of 5 leading exotic Dancewear brands, but then all the major brands started making apparel for that industry and goods from China, Vietnam, Mexico are much cheaper. Both in quality and labor. So, we switched to plus size club wear. That was our specialty for about 10 years until all the major brands followed suit. We then moved to high end Dancewear for private label companies. Now, that is a very competitive market and we have begun making specialty unique items for small brick and mortar stores.
When covid shut down the country, I felt something happening, as if my walls were physically closing in on us. I can’t explain my thought process because it happened so quickly, but I set up all my seamstress and hired more to sew in their houses and make cloth masks. We got them onto amazon platform before Amazon stopped allowing new vendors to sell them. My business flourished for at least 3 months, just making masks.
I’d say the reason I have stayed in business 38 years is my ability to change fast.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
We specialize in any apparel that stretches. We make brands for Dancewear, yoga, and rave wear (music festivals), for both men and women. We work with anyone. We have clients who are just starting out, developing their brand for their small online stores, we work with major chain stores of 40+ stores, and everyone in between. We live outside the box in the sense that we don’t have limits. We don’t have guardrails, or rules, we try not to say no to anyone, we continue to push ourselves to figure out new designs that clients want even though we have not done it before.
I’m most proud of my relationships with my clients. We have a lot to talk about. Because I also own a boutique, I have a lot of history/knowledge of what is happening in our industry, all the time. My clients don’t see me as a sales person, I think we have a kinship of some sort.
What sets me apart is longevity. I am one of the oldest companies in my industry, at least first generation. I know of very few who have done this almost 40 years.
Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
Lately, I have found creating new business with clients I have never known before is exhilarating. Making new contacts, developing new relationships… it is sort of like dating, if that makes sense.
I also feel a big relief when clients ask me to make something that I have not done before and then they report back how pleased they were with the result, and icing on the cake is when they report that I am the top selling vendor in their store at that moment in time.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://delicateillusions.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/romanticboutiquebydi
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/romanticboutique
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/romantic-boutique-by-delicate-illusions-laguna-beach
