By Cecilia Fay
Almost every teenage girl loves shopping for new clothes. Shopping for a new outfit can give girls the confidence and determination they need to take on everyday life.
Angelina Maher, a senior at St. Benedict at Auburndale here in Memphis, decided to take her love of fashion and turn it into a business. She calls it Linen Rose, a boutique filled with trendy clothing and accessories for young girls.
“I have always loved clothes. I have always felt my best when I have a cute outfit on,” Maher said. “For me, clothing helps me feel so much more confident in myself.”
She started the boutique in October 2019 when she was sixteen with an online store. Now seventeen, she has booths at Painted Tree, a marketplace community for local businesses to showcase their goods located in Memphis, TN, and Franklin, TN.
You can visit Linen Rose online right here.
While Maher is a business owner she still has to do school work and take tests just like any other seventeen-year-old. “Being a high school student and also owning a boutique comes with its ups and downs . . . during the school year I always do my homework in class and use my time wisely,” she said.
Because of her supportive family, Angelina is not alone when it comes to business and still has time to be a regular teenager: “Because as a high school student you still want to go to some of the games and festivities! So my family has been a big help.”
Her family is a huge part of the day to day operations for Linen Rose and also one of her biggest motivators. “My family helps me run the whole boutique! My older sister runs the social media,” Angelina said. “My younger sister (Isabella) is our lead model. Then my mom helps me with anything I need, which I’m so thankful for . . . My dad is my moral support and the handyman.”
Maher’s older sister Gabby enjoys working for the boutique and appreciates how the business has brought her family closer. “There is not a day that goes by that she doesn’t give attention to the boutique. She is a hardworking, genuine, honest businesswoman who cares about her customers and that is inspiring to me,” said Gabby. “The boutique has been such a bonding experience for me and my family since we all have a job inside of the boutique . . . She makes work fun and it is so enjoyable to do things we all love together.”
The name of the store is inspired by her Dad, who is her biggest role model. “We live on a farm . . . my dad plants many things, and one of the things he plants is cotton. My sisters and I have so many amazing memories of when we were little on the farm with my dad,” said Angelina. “The word ‘Rose’ I thought of for many reasons. I feel that the roses are so beautiful and elegant. They can make anyone’s day better. I have also just loved the name Rose.”
Just like many businesses in the area, Angelina’s boutique was affected during the COVID-19 pandemic. Maher is thankful for her online business: “I am so happy and lucky that I had an online website for my boutique because if I only had Painted Tree I would have no business or purchases,” she said. “It has taught me how to market online and how social media can be used as a tool to help your brand grow.”
Maher hopes to one day open her own brick and mortar store. “I hope she is an inspiration for other girls to follow their dreams and to work hard,” (Gabby) Maher said.
You can find Maher and her store here at linenroseboutique.com.
Cecilia Fay is student at the University of Memphis pursuing a degree in Public Relations. She is interested in advocacy and reading, and is passionate about writing the stories that matter. Cecilia participated in StoryBoard’s 2019 Page One Writer’s Workshop and wrote the editorial essay How the Water Flows last year.