Jasmine Haughey and her father, Greg, wear outfits from their boutique
By Pamela Collins
Let’s backtrack to 2020 in the midst of the COVID pandemic. Jasmine Haughey was 15 years old and decided she “just needed a job.” She was apprehensive about working retail where she would be exposed to the virus.
So her family put their heads together and came up with the idea of an online business. While visiting California, her mother, Tanya, fell in love with the clothing at a boutique. She talked to the owner and came away with some great ideas about beautiful clothes for women that fit!
And so, a store was born. Jasmine, now 18, and Tanya are co-founders and co-owners of IAAM: It’s All About Me clothing boutique in the Centennial community, with dad, Greg, collaborating as well.
When I asked how they built the business, I could feel the energy in the room as they exploded. “It was crazy! We were overwhelmed! We wondered what we had gotten ourselves into!”
They took some marketing classes to learn how to run a small business. Jasmine said she has learned so much during the process, including building her computer skills.
They use numerous wholesalers and designers from different parts of the world, especially from the U.S. west coast, so Jasmine studied international business. Greg, who works in corporate sales, takes care of shipping, packing and supply chains.
Jasmine loves her job. She was passionate as she described how she now has a cult following on their websites, Facebook and Instagram, sometimes getting up to 52,000 views at one time.
Their website has a “Fitting Room” where models show off the merchandise, and Jasmine does YouTube videos with friends modelling some of the clothes. Shoppers can do private shopping for styles, colours and sizes. During COVID, her friends said her videos were “better than Netflix”!
When the distributors put out the clothing they have available, the sales come in fast and they sell out quickly. Greg said he has three laptops open at once with three different feeds doing live shows. “It’s really wild,” he said. What they want might not come again as most are one-of-a-kind items
You can visit the Fitting Room in person to try on clothes privately. IAAM boutique offers exclusive pieces not purchased in bulk. Local shoppers can pick up right at their door.
With all the fun and passion, the boutique is consuming as Jasmine juggles school and sports. She attends Wexford Collegiate where she studies her other passion in music, theatre and drama. She was recently chosen for the lead part in the musical, Mamma Mia, to be performed at Wexford in May.
The boutique is now doing custom orders and Jasmine creates the designs for special holidays. She is also collaborating with other local vendors for handmade jewellery, handbags and scrunchies.
During the interview I perused the racks and was amazed at the quality and variety of the clothing. One of the tops felt so soft. Of course, I had to buy it! (What’s a woman to do?)
You can contact Jasmine Haughey at: ShopitsAllAboutMe.com on her website, Facebook or Instagram.