Mallory Harrison (Rebecca Keay / The Daily Campus)

As you walk into Haven Boutique you are greeted by friendly faces and brightly colored clothes – perfect for the spring – that hang effortlessly on their racks.

SMU alumna Mallory Harrison explains what it is like to start a company, and how she has grown since the beginning.

What inspired you to create your own business?

I actually started the business with my friend, Abby Hoak- also a SMU alumna. We were in a boutique in California and saw the need for a store like this in uptown.

So we started working on it in January 2012, got things rolling, and were open by May 2012. It was a pretty quick process.

Abby is very ambitious and confident, which are two qualities that you need to have when you are starting a business. There’s no way I could have started the store without her, because I really didn’t think it was possible.

How would you describe the clothes you sell in your store?

It’s all women’s clothes. They’re mostly contemporary looks, clothes that can be worn day and night and just all-around fun clothes. I would say our style is fairly classic with a free-spirited streak.

I only carry lines that I feel strongly about – every piece in the store is one that I am very much behind.

I don’t want to sell a product I don’t believe in, that would make the entire experience feel too unauthentic.

We just created an account with Voluspa, which should be in the store soon.

We’re also about to get alot of new jewelry in. Right now all of our jewelry is $100 and up so we’re about to start carrying some that can range from $12 to $40.

And we carry guys’ gifts. Smathers & Branson makes great quality needlepoint pieces, so we now carry a lot of needlepoint flasks, belts and key fobs. We offer monogramming services and work closely with them on special orders, so they make great gifts.

Which audience did you choose to cater to?

I would say young professionals, people who live in the area.

I would like to have more SMU people shopping here, but we haven’t been here that long though so people are still learning about it. Since we started putting racks outside, people have started to notice that we are a clothing store, and we’ve had more people stopping in.

From the opposite spectrum of the young audience, we have an older audience too. My mom wears everything in the store.

How would you say that your store is different from others in his area?

There are a lot of stores in the area that have clothes that you can just buy it for the night and it might not last for that long.

But I really look for quality pieces that you know you’re going to wear over and over and you know won’t fall apart.

I think having a few pieces that you love in your closet is better than having a ton that you just toss.

I’ve always loved fashion and I really spend a lot of time hand picking each piece in the store. I put a lot of thought into every piece in the store.

I like to think that when people come in to this store they don’t have to sift through stuff, each piece stands out. I’ve already done the sifting for them.

Do you buy things based on whether or not you would wear it, or if it’s what your customers would be likely to wear?

When it comes to sizing I’ll think abut the people that come in here. Sometimes a customer will ask for a very specific style of clothing, and I’ll keep that in mind when I’m buying.

When we first opened, I tried buying a few pieces that I would not wear but that I could see on other people.

I was going against my gut, and I still have some of those pieces and I can’t sell them, so I’ve learned to really trust my gut.

I never go to buying appointments alone, so if I do pick out a piece that only I would wear, I’ll have one of the girls that work at the store there with me to tell me that no one else would wear it. The girls that work here are great, they are so much fun.

For the most part, I’ve learned to trust my instinct and my wonderful fashion consultants. And of course the sales reps help my decision making process as well.

What are your plans and goals for the future for Haven Boutique?

I would just like to get more people in and out of the door every day, because people are still learning about the store. Other than that minor goal, I’m still dreaming about the next step.

How have you grown throughout the development of your business?

I feel like now I know what I’m talking about. It was stressful at first, making the sales and figuring out employees and the best way to handle everything.

But now we have a good system and things are running smoothly.

Haven Boutique is located at 2422 Allen Street. Stop in and get the 10% discount that is offered to SMU students.