Ou Bél: Why One Fashion Enthusiast Launched Her Business Amidst A Pandemic
You're sure to feel beautiful in any of these Ou Bél pieces.
2020 is certainly a year for the books. From coronavirus to quarantine to historic protests calling for equal rights and to defund the police, soaring unemployment numbers, record-breaking amounts of businesses going under, a recent bid for presidency by Kanye West, and dozens (hundreds?) of things not even mentioned in this list, a lot has gone on in the first half of 2020.
Sounds like a crazy time to be starting a new business, correct? Well, Los Angeles local Cheska Dorcius is going against the odds to see all of her hard work and determination recognized in the launch of her online store Ou Bél. Cheska, a proud Haitian-American, named her store Ou Bél because in Creole it translates to “You’re beautiful.” Her goal with the store is to curate a variety of effortless, sustainable, fashion-forward pieces guaranteed to turn heads, but also make the wearer feel beautiful in their own skin.
This year has required a lot of flexibility and ingenuity from everyone, no matter what their plans might have been. It just so happened that Cheska was in the works of planning and creating her fashion brand amidst a global pandemic. Fed up with feeling stuck in a certain role or unable to advance, even after 10 years in the fashion industry, Cheska was determined to see her hard work through. Backing down was never an option. With a mantra like “Follow your dreams and never take no for an answer,” it’s easy to see why Ou Bél was going forward with the launch, global pandemic or not.
So what does the future hold for this growing brand?
If things keep going well, a brick-and-mortar store could be a possibility in the future (think Reformation vibes). In the meantime, a pop-up shop might be in the works, post-pandemic however. As of right now, Ou Bél is focusing on getting off the ground with sales of flirty dresses, midi skirts and understated jewelry. Luckily for online retailers (and Ou Bél), business has still been booming and even soaring, as many people were initially ordered to stay at home per CDC safety guidelines. Even as stay-at-home orders are lifting, some customers prefer the safety of online shopping. While you might not be dining out or clubbing anytime soon, you can feel empowered in a cute new outfit and share it on your socials. In fact, Ou Bél encourages customers to post and tag the Ou Bél Instagram account so that they can be featured on the page. Why? Because they're all beautiful of course!
As an added bonus, shopping Ou Bél means you’re supporting small business, women-owned business, and black-owned business. The future’s looking bright and beautiful for this new female-fronted business.