In the heart of Fort Worth, fashion has always mattered, but with a newly minted Fashion Week, Cowtown's creatives have the support they've always needed. Geordian Abel, a former sales executive raised with bows in her hair by an acutely Southern mama, dreamed of carving out a corner of that fashion world for the Texas girly girls she identified with.
"I've always loved clothes," she gushed. "It's a passion of mine, and I haven't changed. It's funny because my style now was my style when I was four years old."
In college, Abel channeled her creativity through a lifestyle blog that slowly defined a style she admits isn't for everyone but unquestionably belongs in Fort Worth.
Years later, she joined the corporate world as a sales executive but continued working on her blog. It connected Abel to a growing community that supported her, a blessing when she lost her job during company layoffs. In shock, she took her mother's advice to chase her dreams and focused her energy on the blog, transforming it into an online fashion empire called Flourish in Frills.
Nerve-wracking as it was, she dug deep to forge a path forward; channeling her love of marketing and fashion to create a character called Charlotte Olivia, the embodiment of Abel's courage and a tool she used to develop a brand.
The sassy Charlotte is always "dressed," indulges in afternoon champagne, and goes for what she wants. Sound familiar? The character kept Abel focused, influencing her choices like a beacon in a sea of options.
"I told my husband, 'If we can make this work within six months, then we'll be good,'" she said. It was about that long, but Flourish was a success with some serendipitous help, but mostly grit driving the business.
She launched the website during the summer of 2020, just as the COVID-19 pandemic reached America, bringing mandatory quarantines that ruined many small businesses. As people ran inside, they connected to the world from the internet. And boy, did they shop. It didn't take long before Abel knew she made the right choice keeping Flourish online, bringing chic, feminine fashion to women from the safety of their homes.
One of the cornerstones of Flourish in Frills is its strong sense of community. Abel created a space for her customers to feel seen and heard despite shopping online, something fashion always did for her.
"Connecting with our customers is really the forefront of my business," she said.
Hers is a personal approach, where her customers feel like they know her and vice versa. This philosophy extends to her social media presence, where she strives to create an engaging and interactive experience for her followers.
"Instagram is our bread and butter," she explained, describing a carefully curated platform that Charlotte Olivia would be obsessed with.
Soon, though, she needed help, forcing Abel to delegate as she built a small but dedicated team that still helps her run things smoothly. Each team member plays a crucial role in the boutique's success, but Abel says she will always manage the customers and build relationships with them through the website.
"I think that's something people don't realize," Abel said. "I know every customer's style and preferences, so when I'm selecting pieces for the store, I have a clear idea who it's for."
Flourish in Frills will always be a love letter to the girly girls, a haven that mixes elevated maxi dresses with timeless closet staples.
"When it comes to clothes, the girlier and frillier, the better," she laughed, sharing that her quest to find pieces for Charlotte led her to explore design. Like her boutique items, Abel wanted to create pieces her customers could recognize instantly as belonging to the Flourish in Frills brand.
"I really hate the word boutique because I think anyone can be a boutique," she continued. "But how are you going to establish yourself as a brand?"
In June 2023, Flourish launched its first custom collection, beginning a new chapter for Abel. Despite having no formal background in design, she embraced the challenge, working closely with manufacturers to bring her vision to life.
"The long-term goal is selling our pieces," she explained, adding that the design aspect gives her a new creative outlet to explore, something most artists crave.
But, the design world is not without challenges, and Abel shares that she learned valuable lessons from her first collection. No surprise, she leaned heavily into ultra-feminine styles.
"I went too girly, honestly," she giggled. "There weren't enough practical everyday pieces."
The "setback" was only a learning experience for Abel, who used the information as another piece of data to help build her brand. Today, she feels she has struck a balance between the signature style of Charlotte Olivia and a busy mom who needs everyday, versatile pieces that still make her feel "dressed." She says the balance will influence future collections, with the next one already in the works, but she is firm about not rushing the process.
"I really want to take my time with every detail," she explained. "I hate speeding something up just to get it done. I'm moving at a pace that makes sense to me, so when it's finished, I know it's perfect."
As Flourish in Frills continues growing, Abel envisions a future where her boutique thrives online while expanding into various brick-and-mortar spaces.
"The long-term goal is to be a wholesale brand and have our designs in other boutiques," she shared, adding that she couldn't do any of it without her loyal customers and the support of a city she loves.
"I want people to know they can always follow their dreams," she concluded. "Like my mother told me, you can do it. I wish I had started this brand years ago, but it's also never too late. Believe in yourself, and you can make it happen."
Photoshoot Credits:
Clothing - Flourish in Frills
Champagne - Put a Cork in It
Flowers - Camellia Farm Flora
Photography - Macka Photography