Boutique owner charms customers with fashion-forward grace
Editor’s Note: The following is an ongoing series by Jo Ann Garner about a select group of women who live life beautifully. These are the stories of women who fulfilled their roles as homemakers as well as businesswomen and went on to enrich their lives with tremendous accomplishments rooted in self-expressed beauty.
K nox Goodman is a
woman who personifies living beautifully in all that she embodies,
whether working on never-ending community service projects throughout
the city, serving in her church or keeping her mission statement promise
to the customers of her upscale clothing boutique to always provide
“very personal service.”
Goodman, a Shreveport
native and Byrd High School graduate, earned a degree in history and
political science from Hollins College in Roanoke, Va. She returned to
Shreveport to teach third grade, married and started a family. “Fashion
really wasn’t on my mind at that point in my life,” she said.
It
was in 1974, while serving as president of the alumnae board of
Hollins, her alma mater, that she noticed “good looking” jewelry being
worn by some of the ladies. An interest emerged, so she inquired about
it and was told about New York-based designer, Gay Boyer, who had sales
representatives up and down the eastern coast. She wrote a letter to
Boyer and said she would like to introduce the jewelry to this region of
the country. Shortly afterward, a $500 jewelry inventory was set up on
Goodman’s dining table, and her housekeeper, Alice Triggs, became her
No. 1 salesperson. After a few years of selling from her home, Goodman
rented 500 square feet of space on Line Avenue. She later expanded,
renamed her business Knox Goodman’s Boutique and began to add purses,
scarves and some clothing lines. Marissa Baratelli was one of those
lines, and the boutique still carries that label today.
In
1993, she moved her shop to its present location at 714 Azalea Drive
where it has become a prominent Shreveport fashion destination. Through
periodic renovation and remodeling, the boutique’s signature look –
reflective of Goodman’s touch – remains intact.
Goodman
instinctively understands fashion. She has created a chic, intimate
atmosphere wherein patrons shop in comfort and receive expert style
consultation from her capable staff.
James Osborne was hired in
2005 for a managerial position, and his vision for the shop has further
ensured customers will wear their new purchases with confidence and
pleasure. In keeping up with technology, Ginny Broyles Lamb came onboard
last year as director of social media.
The
cornerstone of her business – exquisite jewelry – is readily available
along with a vast selection of other accessories. The shop showcases
established as well as new designer fashion lines that range from
sportswear to special occasion. Seasonal trunk showings provide up-close
looks at designers’ works and give customers an opportunity to meet the
designers or their representatives.
Where
there is a community need, Goodman can always be counted on to help
meet it. A friend of Goodman’s said, “She puts her elbows where her
values are,” referring to the fact that she carries a bag with her on
her daily walks and picks up litter in the park.
In
Sarah Ban Breathnach’s book, “Simple Abundance,” she provides a
composition for each day of the year is focused on women who wish that
to learn to “live by their own lights.” By following uncomplicated daily
lessons and suggestions, readers are guided into the practice of
gratitude and are helped to establish a connection between their
spirituality and lifestyle. Similarly, in her book, “Living a Beautiful
Life,” Alexandra Stoddard teaches readers to bring order into their
lives and encourages them to begin to create beauty through
selfexpression in even the most ordinary areas.
Goodman is a testament to displaying these qualities.
“I love this city and want to do everything I can,” Goodman said.
In the community she is wellrespected, much admired and a true lady in every sense of the word.
– Jo Ann Garner
