Kia Cleveland, store manager of Birdie Boutique, fixes up accessories on a mannequin before the store opens. The small store in Norco is home to an affordable range of items that would be expensive at any other specialty boutique. Valeria Gironas | Banner
An eye for style and a love for fashion led Kia Cleveland to open her own business, Birdie Boutique, a small clothing store in Norco.
Opening in 2014, the store sells home decorations, clothing and accessories. Cleveland buys and refurbishes old furniture to sell as vintage items. Birdie Boutique has a variety of home decorations such as canvas posters, pillows and even trinket dishes.
“I saw Birdie Boutique on Instagram and I saw that it was so close to my house, so I wanted to check it out,” said Crystal Arciga, a Birdie Boutique customer. “I love their jewelry.”
Cleveland said she originally wanted to attend the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandise in Los Angeles.
“I opened Birdie Boutique because it had always been a dream of mine to have my own boutique,” Cleveland said.
Cleveland said she has always had a passion for style and design and wanted to combine the two aspects all while being unique and affordable.
The boutique’s website is made more personal in part because of the employees, who also model the clothing.
Cleveland uses the employees as models for their online store to show customers that the clothes at Birdie Boutique are for any woman to wear.
The women who work there are ordinary women who want to show other women how fashionable, trendy and affordable Birdie Boutique clothing is.
Cleveland said the process of opening a store was a lot easier than she thought. She said her success is because of her husband’s business guidance and continuous effort in helping her market Birdie Boutique. Cleveland is hopeful her store will continue to grow.
“Don’t get me wrong, there have been many things I’m sure I could have done better,” Cleveland said. “Seeing as this was my first entrepreneurial adventure, I think it has gone smoother than anticipated.”
