Goodman maintained her mission to provide personal service
Since Knox Goodman’s Boutique opened over three decades ago, “very personal service” has been a very important part of the mission statement that Goodman made to her customers.
When she closes her business at the end of this year, her customers who have shopped there will agree her promise of commitment to personal service was honored, and our memories of this unique and iconic Shreveport dress shop will be truly rich and plentiful.
As patrons, we’ll fondly recall entering through that pretty pink door and stepping into the fashion wonderland that Goodman created. We’ll remember being cheerfully greeted by her or a member of her capable staff who assured that we would feel special as we browsed the eye-catching displays that were so brilliantly arranged. We’ll recall the strikingly beautiful high-end clothing lines – some exclusive to this area – that ran from sportswear to special occasion as well as exquisite jewelry and accessories that made it possible to complete an outfit in just one visit. We’ll reflect on the atmosphere of Southern hospitality at its purest that made our visit pleasurable and relaxing and, of course, the expert style advice that was always available.
If we were fortunate, there might have been a designer in the shop presenting a trunk show. Goodman realized the importance of educating her clientele in regard to wardrobe additions and enhancement. She accomplished this, in part, by providing customers the opportunity to meet one-onone with the artists at these showings.
Goodman built rapports with all her designers and formed lasting friendships with many. Marissa Baratelli is a label she carried for the duration. Also, a celebrity shopper may have been spotted in the shop. Priscilla Presley was the last reported sighting.
Considering Goodman’s entrepreneurial achievement in successfully operating her business for over 30 years, one might think she had been born into and groomed for it. Actually, though, it was years after obtaining her degree from Hollins College in Roanoke, Va., returning to Shreveport to teach at Southfield School, marrying attorney, Robert Goodman, and rearing three daughters – while committing a large portion of her time to her church and civic activities – that her interest in fashion was piqued.
It happened in 1974 when she saw the beautiful jewelry of New York designer, Gay Boyer, who had sales representatives up and down the East Coast. Goodman said, “I wrote her a letter and told her that I was interested in bringing the line here, and she agreed.” Goodman added, “So, I borrowed $500 from Bob Goodman and set up my inventory on the dining table in our home.” She named the business “Traveling Trinkets,” and her housekeeper, Alice Triggs, became her top salesperson.
After a few years when her business had outgrown the dining table, Goodman leased an area within an existing store – she would later lease the entire space – and added articles of clothing and some accessories. She renamed the business “Knox Goodman’s Boutique,” and it soon became the place to shop for well-dressed women not only in Shreveport but throughout Louisiana, east Texas and Arkansas. In 1993, she moved the shop to its present location at 714 Azalea Drive inside a cozy little house which she renovated and turned into a charming boutiquestyle shopping haven. Fresh flowers, elegant accents and warm touches, characteristic of Goodman’s persona, were abundant in an environment where Goodman inspired women to feel not only feminine but also empowered through fashion.
Goodman has always said emphatically that her success in bringing her business plans to fruition is due to the support of her family, the loyalty of her customers and the expertise of her sales staff who have made it possible for her to spend time with her children and grandchildren, to travel with her husband and to continue with her community involvement.
In reference to the latter, Goodman has always served on committees and boards throughout Shreveport wherever and whenever she was needed. “I want the city to do well, and I want to do all that I can,” she has said.
As the wardrobes of women who have patronized Knox Goodman’s Boutique are stylishly enhanced and as the community is made better by her civic efforts, those of us who have personally experienced her joyful generosity, open heart and extraordinary kindness are, indeed, enriched by her presence in our lives.
Jo Ann Garner is a freelancer writer for The Forum and CityLife. Email comments to [email protected].
