[dropcap size=big]N[/dropcap]ot everyone is born with natural beauty or has innate sense of style. For the misfortunate many who lack these attributes, all they can do is get help from the fortunate few. In the past, this meant that a person had to glean expert information from beauty magazines or television, which have always been one-sided do-it-yourself affairs. The Internet made things slightly better with email and chat rooms, but the only truly effective solution has been to physically visit a boutique for personal service. With Catch Boutique, however, traveling to a physical location for beauty and style guidance could be a thing of the past. Instead, the boutique treatment could be coming to you from the convenience of your personal computer. To celebrate the launch of this revolutionary site, Catch Boutique owner and stylist Natalie Howell threw an exclusive party and invited Working Author to partake in this unique online experience.
“I’m so excited to bring my passion for designing, fashion, and styling to an online boutique giving me an outlet to help and guide fashionistas everywhere to look and feel fabulous all the time,” says Howell. “This is a life-long dream come true.” Catch Boutique plans to offer everything one would expect from a high-end online boutique, such as expert style and beauty tips, the latest fashion from exciting designers and newsletters keeping subscribers informed on industry trends and special offers. At the time of this writing, Catch Boutique is offering 10% off first-time purchases.
Catch Boutique will also carry a wide selection of clothing lines, such as Kova & T, Black Halo, LnA and many more. The online retailer will also sell its private label Twenty-Two Vintage by Catch, which is a customized line created from hand-picked designer clothing from around the world. “We’ve got a lot of new collections coming in,” explains Howell, “so not everything’s been photographed and a lot of it’s coming from Europe.” The fashion currently available on the site features photos of the clothes modeled in different angles as well as a convenient zoom tool to get a better look before buying.
Catch Boutique distinguishes itself from other online retailers by offering video conferencing with its clients. When asked if the service will be available 24-hours a day, Howell laughs, “Are you going to let me sleep?” While specific hours weren’t given, Catch Boutique allows its visitors to schedule video conferencing appointments with any member of Howell’s team of stylists. Howell is more than happy to interact with customers of course. “People can chat with me if they have a party or they have a date. And it really helps me because I can see what they look like and it’s easy to see their coloring and how to style them.” Taking advantage of the video chat capabilities is as easy as visiting the site, entering some general information about yourself and letting the built-in software detect your webcam.
Los Angeles and London residents receive additional exclusive services, such as closet makeovers, personal styling sessions and styling for special events. “We do an emergency wardrobe and makeup assistance,” Howell says, “…if someone has a party we can send a whole team to them.” Those features weren’t available yet on the site, but check back often for updates.
The party itself was an all-around success. Catch Boutique designated a section of the event to feature their clothing lines and celebrities like Jaime Pressly walked away with brand new outfits. Several kiosks were set up, showcasing the new site and allowing guests to experience Catch Boutique for themselves. Natalie Howell took the time to walk Vanessa Minnillo through the site and she purchased a few items for herself.
The launch party was sponsored by HOPE – a non-profit organization devoted to projects that promote peace and education around the world – and Operation Smile, which is a group dedicated to helping children with facial deformities. Holly Montag stopped by their table to give her autograph and play with one of the children from the charity. Working Author showed its support as well by signing a bracelet and writing a message for one lucky child.
After taking everything in and gauging the crowd’s response to the clothes and the site, it’s easy to see the bright future ahead for Catch Boutique. Natalie Howell is pioneering a new age in fashion and style online retail that will leave competitors kicking themselves for not having thought of it first. Moreover, Howell is a tremendous beauty inside and out. She’s the kind of woman that artists and poets think about for inspiration when they sit down to create great works of art. Fashion and style aside, if Natalie Howell’s clients can take away even a fraction of her class and refinement it will have been money well spent.
Catch Boutique: http://www.catchboutique.com/