ShopGirl: Meet Rosie Dulyapaibul of Roslyn Boutiqe in Bucktown

Rosie Dulyapaibul

Meet Rosie Dulyapaibul, the owner of Roslyn Boutique in Bucktown, Chicago. We'll take you on the journey of what her customers are buying right now and for fall and how this ShopGirl got started.

Runway To Retail: What are customers buying right now?
Rosie Dulyapaibul: For summer, easy dresses that look great with a nice pair of flip flops for day, cocktail dresses by Vera Wang and Elise Bergman for night/special occasions. For pre-fall/fall, my customers are buying cropped jackets with special detailing (snaps, leather details, metallic accents)-- a great, little jacket can spruce up any basic outfit.

RTR: What did you buy for fall for Roslyn?
RD: We will be offering, among many things, tailored blazers that can take you from work to cocktail hour, cute little jackets for unpredictable Autumn nights in Chicago (in a range of fabrications and patterns), cashmere sweaters in shades of grey and beige in classic cuts, and sophisticated cocktails dresses from Vera Wang's Lavender label for all those weddings, black tie affairs, and office parties.

RTR: Who is the perfect quintessential “Roslyn” customer?
RD: The quintessential 'Roslyn' customer is a woman who is on trend, but not 'trendy.' She never tries too hard and the only person she dresses to please is herself. Her effortless style is a result of knowing how to layer different pieces and create a look that is true to her personal style. The Roslyn woman appreciates pieces that are classic with a twist, pieces that are well made and will be a staple in her wardrobe season after season.

RTR: What are the designers you always stock?
RD: Steven Alan- his reverse seam shirts are a no-brainer. They come in amazing patterns, have the perfect little-boy cut (keeping in mind that we are girls, afterall), and look good wrinkled so you can just throw them on with a pair of jeans. Steven has also expanded his assortment to include incredible jackets, shift dresses, and grandpa cardigans for those chilly Chicago afternoons. I'm a huge fan of the Steven Alan collection and have about 50 of his reverse seam shirts stacked up in my closet.

Steven Alan

Nicholas K- one of my favorite designers! Nicholas K incorporates the most amazing details to each and every piece they design; collars lined with hidden wires so that you can shape them in any way you'd like, zippers that unveil a hood inside your favorite sweatshirt (just in case it rains), leather trims are on every jacket... they combine utility and fashion in a way I've never seen before.

Nicholas K

Elise Bergman- Elise is one of my good friends and I love supporting her since she is a local designer and such a young talent. Her pieces are really versatile (her multiwrap comes in different fabrications each season and can be worn nine different ways) and flattering. Elise's designs are feminine, without being frilly and are always comfortable. We hold several trunk shows each year to showcase her collections and I think it's always great to be able to meet the designer.

Vera Wang- Vera Wang's Lavender label offers flattering cocktail dresses for all body types and budgets. The collection is one of our best sellers- perfect for a cocktail party at the Museum of Contemporary Art or your next wedding. I especially love her silk and satin pieces, since she uses a heavier weight fabric so you never feel like you're wearing a nightgown out on the town.

RTR: What designers surprised you this season (fall 2008)? What, if anything, changed your view point about them that made you carry them?
Collection K is always a favorite for me; the sweater line is out of Paris so the pieces have a touch of avant-garde style to them without being too crazy. This season, her sweaters and knit tanks are offered in the most beautiful palette- burnt sienna, charcoal grey, shades of plum, and taupe. I'm a sweater girl and you think you've seen them all until you see Collection K, cowl neck sweaters have a little more at the neck for a dramatic drape, wrap sweaters wrap around more than twice, cardigans left open reveal angled ends- they are so luxurious and chic you just want to live in them!

Eyrn Brinie is a new line we've picked up for fall. Based out of Korea, the tops and jackets in this line all come in shades of grey and muted purple and are an amazing price point. A lot of great designers are emerging from Asia and this is definitely one of them.

RTR: What are your biggest tips for dressing?
RD: For me, the most important tip in dressing is to layer- this is not to be confused with piling on too many things at once because then you could end up looking indecisive and sloppy. Keep it fairly simple, but know that a great little jacket can liven up a basic t-shirt and jeans. And a great scarf is a must-have... well, several great scarves.

RTR: What’s in your closet?
RD: My closet is bursting with Steven Alan shirts, summer dresses by Bensoni, jackets from J.Crew (my former employer), Steven Alan, Nicholas K and vintage stores (I'm a jacket fanatic), scarves from everywhere I've traveled, and J-Brand jeans.

RTR: What’s in your beauty bag?
RD: Kiehls lip balm, Shu Uemura eyelash curler, Dior Show mascara, Bobbi Brown bronzer, and Stila cosmetics.

RTR: Do you have a favorite look from the runway that you will carry in your store this fall? What do you like about it?
RD: I love the menswear look for fall. These two looks from Nicholas K display the trend in a darker, more stylized version than how we would wear the pieces in the street.

RTR: Tell us how you started and what’s in line for your future!
RD: I majored in Textiles and Apparel Management at Cornell University. I was able to balance my study of fashion history and technical aspects of the industry with business classes, which laid the foundation for my career as a merchandiser at Abercrombie & Fitch and J.Crew. After working in the corporate world for about five years, I decided to move back to my hometown of Chicago to fill a void in the retail sector here. I love shopping at boutiques and buying hard-to-find labels and one-of-a-kind pieces and I felt like I kept on seeing the same labels here in Chicago. A lot of stores tend to carry the same lines along with a huge assortment of denim and I wanted to bring more of a New York feel to my store. We don't carry any bottoms (I find that shopping for tops and dresses is much more fun) and the majority of my lines have either extremely limited distribution in Chicago or we are one of the few stores in the nation to carry the collection (Christensen & Sigersen, Elise Bergman, Miranda Bennett, Liz McClean).

Roslyn
2035 N. DamenAve.
Chicago, IL. 60647
t. 773.489.1311
www.roslynboutique.com

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