Voluptuous Bien’Aime Boutique specializes in apparel and accessories for every curvy woman, sizes 0 to 5X. Nicole Bien-Aime, CEO of the company, Retail Boot Camp graduate and lover of fashion, was labeled plus size when she began her journey. After routinely spending all day searching for the right outfit, Nicole realized her shopping experience felt more like a job than an experience, which encouraged her to launch a clothing business catering to curvy women in 2013.
Voluptuous Bien’Aime Boutique began in the basement shop in Nicole’s home, then relocated to an office location in Southfield for two years. Next, Nicole opened a pop up location inside of the Grand River Workplace. Now, after her first year of business, Nicole’s sales have doubled since her days in a pop up location. Although there have been peaks and valleys since opening, she’s excited to have the ability to shop, live, and work in her community.
“I live in the same neighborhood where my business is located,” exclaimed Nicole. “Being in the community is an awesome thing because people want to be able to shop where they live. It’s my honor to be in this neighborhood because it also gives me the ability to give back to the community as well.”
Since opening, Nicole has attended community events to engage others, and joined the Six Mile Business Association.
“Our goal is to make this area as popular as the Avenue of Fashion. To do that, we need to continue to engage our community to help support our businesses,” insisted Nicole.
Nicole is also excited to spread her knowledge to the youth through Grow Detroit’s Young Talent, the City of Detroit’s mentorship program that pays the youth to work at local businesses.
“Now that I’ve finished my first year of business, I’m focusing on growing my customer base. I’ve adjusted hours to ensure I’m open during peak times, which I’m hoping will attract more members of the community,” said Nicole.
