“I’ve always had an eye for fashion,” said Kelly Caron, owner and founder of Kelly Caron Designs, ASID. “That started when I was a young girl and inspired my interest in signature fabrics, patterns and all kinds of styles and trends.” Caron eventually studied interior design in college, so her career as a southeastern interior design maven was the natural next step.
“But I always knew when the time was right, I’d develop my own brand of resort wear,” she said.
Seven years after launching her premiere interior design studio and one pandemic later, Caron was ready to explore her fascination with fashion. She personally invested in dresses by designers she admired, and during design photo shoots, she wore the dresses and accessories. It was a novel approach to professionally showcasing her interior design results, and it quickly won the hearts of her fans and followers. In one photo, Caron posed in a signature KCD kitchen wearing a Sheridan French dress, and the image went viral on social media. Soon after, the dress creator named the dress after Kelly.
It was the “Kelly Dress” that launched a thousand ships, or the rapidly increasing interest in Caron’s style choices that inspired her to take her chances and open an online retail shop. Keeping her thoughtfully discerning and selective approach to interior design in mind, she named the shop Kelly Caron “Curated.” She began traveling to fashion markets all over the country and building her inventory. Jewelry, bags and shoes were added to the lineup, and the Curated Shopify website went live.
Kelly Caron Curated bloomed amid countless other virtual boutiques, all promoting a bright, carefree vibe with a return to ruffles, flounces, lace and what were once traditional feminine details. “This is what our country craved after being trapped in our homes for almost two years, in sweatsuits and on Zoom calls, away from the joys of meeting and celebrating special occasions with family and friends,” Caron pointed out.
While sales were brisk and Caron’s Curated staff supported her efforts by uploading new products, shipping items from the home office and frequently modeling Curated selections, there was still more to come for her blossoming retail brand. Last fall, she added the Homeware Collection to the mix and partnered with online giants like Amazon to grow her visibility.
When the perfect Bluffton real estate opportunity presented itself, Caron imagined a Curated storefront and helped broker the deal from a speaking engagement at the Cloister on Sea Island. “It was too good to pass up,” Caron said. “We had the chance to renovate an already appealing boutique space while positioning ourselves at the heart of the vibrant Promenade retail center in Old Town. It’s exactly how I dreamed it might happen.”
Caron waved her savvy sparkling wand, and in less than three months’ time, 6 Promenade Street was transformed into an elegant showcase of coastal couture, Lowcountry resort wear, and accessories. The reimagined space, designed by Caron and produced by Element Construction Partners, also features a stunning collection of homeware, tucked along the walls in jewel tones that twinkle under the chandelier lighting.
“It’s all come together, my passion for making homes and business environments beautiful, and now I’m elevating style for women, too!” Caron said, beaming with pride and her naturally contagious glow. There’s a look in her eye that suggests she’s just getting started.
Learn more at kellycaroncurated.com.
