As stay-at-home mothers in 2004, Jennifer Dotson and Gretchen Farah were looking to stay connected with a social network that shared their passion for beauty and fashion. The problem was that one didn't exist in Lexington.
So, after testing the Internet waters with their own separate blog initiatives, the Louisville natives combined forces to launch hautemommastuff.com, a Web site that covers larger fashion and beauty trends with a decidedly local perspective.
Since then, hautemommastuff.com has grown to include a community of more than 2,500 newsletter subscribers looking to clue into the latest stylish products and offerings, both national and local. At the same time, more than 20 businesses, including such companies as Bella Rose, Laser Perfect Med Spa and Dragonfly Children's Boutique, have partnered with hautemommastuff.com to tap into the site's growing community of interested consumers. Having started their company with the primary goal of making their mark online as a fashion and beauty blog, the local interest has been somewhat of a welcome surprise, said Dotson and Farah, who both live in Lexington.
"We didn't really know if we would have a local response," said Dotson, whose background was primarily in technology product management, in addition to owning a software development company with her husband. "We wanted to be recognized within the online beauty blogging community and get some credibility by (linking with) their sites."
The pair started making contacts, both online and in person, with other beauty bloggers, and their online exposure continued to grow. After their enterprise was introduced to the local community through a "Familiar Faces" feature in Chevy Chaser magazine, the e-mails from local businesses started rolling in.
"And that's when Gretchen and I sat down and re-evaluated things," Dotson said.
They initiated a Web site redesign to spruce up their online image, and they also started developing earlier ideas they had shared for bringing their growing subscriber community out from behind their keyboards and into the doors of local fashion and beauty businesses. The pair started hosting monthly "Haute Momma Night Out" events, exclusive shopping and social engagements on site at local shops to give subscribers an added incentive for patronizing their advertisers.
Haute Momma Night Out parties have typically drawn anywhere from 50 to more than 200 customers looking for both the socializing opportunities and the exclusive discounts and giveaways, Dotson and Farah said. The company assembles their own Haute Momma goody bags with an array of product samples, marketing materials, coupons and gift certificates for everyone who participates.
"We try to make it like a party," said Farah, a former speech pathologist who also works part-time from home handling marketing for an insurance company. "You are not just there to shop; you are there to have fun, with a warm and friendly vibe."
Having Haute Momma as a liaison takes the pressure out of the owner-customer relationship, Dotson said, and removes the uncomfortable sales pressure felt at a typical open house event. And each event also brings a spike in Web traffic for the Haute Momma site, along with a dozen or so new subscribers, Farah said, and often those new faces will introduce their own social connections to the Haute Momma scene.
Haute Momma's growing popularity in the Central Kentucky area recently caught the eye of DeVries Public Relations in New York, which partnered with them on a product launch for their client, Procter and Gamble. The product, Swash by Tide, a fabric care line for fashion-conscious consumers looking to freshen up their clothing without a full laundry cycle, was featured at a Haute Momma event held at Mod Boutique in September.
Dotson and Farah see launch parties for products like Swash as another offering in their networking arsenal for companies looking to connect with Lexington fashionistas. They also view them as a way to increase Lexington's exposure as a fashion-forward community while promoting their own business as well.
The Haute Momma Web site also features interviews with local boutique and salon owners and other advertisers as well as national designers, such as actress and skin care product entrepreneur Jennifer Yen and leather goods designer Carrie Valentine. They try to include diversionary questions, such as asking about their favorite vacation spot or cocktail, to keep things light and interesting. The fact that many of their interview subjects are women who have achieved success in their professions also appeals to Haute Mommas' primarily female audience, Farah said.
"These are dynamic women who own their own business, and it's inspiring to our readers," Farah said.
The Web site has also become a way for Kentucky fashion and beauty businesses to connect with each other, according to Dotson.
The products and services that Dotson and Farah tout are usually geared toward 24- to 40-year-olds with a keen interest of fashion, beauty and lifestyle trends. Roughly 80 percent of its readers are based in Lexington, Dotson said. And although the company's name is Haute Momma Stuff and the owners are both mothers of three, having children isn't a prerequisite, Farah said. In fact, some of the newsletter subscribers aren't women at all.
"I wouldn't say we have a very large male readership, but there are some in there," Dotson said.
The company is also involved with local charities like the Susan G. Komen Foundation and the Lexington Cancer Foundation, and they are looking to build future relationships with the Bluegrass Conservancy and the National Gene Test Fund.
In addition to increasing their online presence, the company hopes to build on their events, possibly by bringing together both Lexington and Louisville boutiques and salons for an annual showcase in the future. Hautemommastuff.com is still a part-time venture for both women, although their schedules do get hectic when an event draws near. The keys for both women have been constant attention to time management, using technology to simplify their business, and strong communication with each other, they said.
"The one thing we hope other women get from us is that it's hard, but you can do it," Dotson said.
"But," Farah added, "You have to enjoy what you're doing."