hello spring.

here's a look behind the scenes at the spring photo shoot, the old village in charleston.

here's a secret... this dress may be featured in the Southern Living edition on new stands in january.

all the red and green have you feeling blue? no fear spring is around the corner. in fact, here at LaRoque, spring is in full swing. i am so excited to announce our spring wholesale collection. now you can find LaRoque in over 40 boutiques along the east coast. preppy frocks that say your ready for a horse race and a mint julep. here is a sneak peek at what's ahead. coral, lime and aqua when all the red and green is done.

last frame of the day...

many thanks to the very talented virgil bunao for the photography.

and sayde claxton for modeling.

see more of virgil's work at virgilbunao.com

wondering where to find LaRoque?

Locations: Flagship Shop: LaRoque 2700 devine street columbia, sc 29205 (803) 765-6062 Alabama The Shopt For Pappagallo 2803 Cahaba Road Birmingham, AL 35223 (205) 870-0470 Holiday 4513 Old Shell Road Mobile, AL 36608 (251) 342-4911 Florida Snappy Turtle 1100 E. Atlantic Ave. Delray Beach, FL 33445 (561) 276-8088 Eye of the Needle 313 ½ Worth Avenue, C-2 Palm Beach, FL 33480 (561) 833-4533 Joy of Palm Beach 233 Royal Poinciana Way Palm Beach, FL 33804 (561) 833-4569 Tululah's Boutique 2101 Indian River Boulevard Building #109 Vero Beach, FL 32960 (772) 226-5340 Georgia Ginger Howard Selections 3164 Peachtree Road NE Atlanta, GA 30305 (404) 869-0115 Soho 435 Highland Ave. Augusta, GA 30909 (706) 738-6884 The Blue Door 6501 Whitesville Rd #400 Columbus, GA 31904 (706) 596-0139 Magnolia Hill 2521 Airport Thruway # 100-B Columbus, GA 31904 (706) 507-4415 Crimson and Clover 205 S. 7th Street Cordele, GA 31015 (229) 273-7555 Threads on Mulberry 124 Savannah Avenue Suite G-1 Statesboro, GA 30458 (912) 489-5189 Kevin's of Thomasville 111 South Broad Street Thomasville, GA 31792 (229) 226-7766 Only Options 1421 Gornto Road Valdosta, GA 31602 (229) 244-1807 Kentucky Alma Hall Inc. Pappagallo 600 US 31W Byp Ste 8 Bowling Green, KY 42101 (270) 781-6831 The Cotton Patch 3367 Tates Creek Road Lexington, KY 40502 (859) 269-8839 Monkees of Lexington 116 Clay Avenue Lexington, KY 40502 (859) 253-0427 Blossoms 805 Frederica Street Owensboro, KY 42301 (270) 689-2229 Louisiana Town and Country 1514 St. Charles Avenue New Orleans, LA 70130 (504) 523-7027 Massachusetts Island Outfitters 21 Wianno Avenue Osterville, MA 02655 (508) 428-2355 North Carolina Monkee’s of Biltmore 7 All Souls Cres Asheville, NC 28803 (828) 277-6002 Sandi's Beachwear 417 West Fort Macon Road Atlantic Beach, NC 28512 (252) 726-4812 Finley House Couture 1121 Main Street Bowling Rock, NC 28605 (828) 295-6373 Francie Hargrove 25 Burn Street Cashiers, NC 28717 (828) 743-9700 Preppy Poodle 113 Wall Street Clinton, NC 28328 (910) 592-3959 The Julia 7220 Wrightsville Ave Wilmington, NC 28403 (910) 256-1175 M Christopher's 111 Reynolda Vlg, #B Winston-Salem, NC 27106 (336) 722-4520 Rhode Island Pink Pineapple 380 Thames Street Newport, RI 02840 (401) 849- South Carolina Warren on King 154 King Street Charleston, SC 29401 (843) 724-9144 Page 6 Boutique 936 Market Street Fort Mill, SC 29708 (803) 548-0559 Miss. Lizzie 819 Front Street Georgetown, SC 29440 (843) 546-0495 Sugar Boutique 203 Waller Street Greenwood, SC 29646 (864) 229-6322 Minnie's Giftique 142 E Carolina Avenue Hartsville, SC 29550 (843) 383-6380 The Cabbage Patch 311 North Long Street Kingstree, SC 29556 (843) 355-8473 Jessica’s 316 Mill Street Manning, SC 29102 (803) 433-5555 Taylor’s 11412 Ocean Hwy #B Pawleys Island, SC 29585 (843) 237-9500 Three Sisters 146A E. Main Street Spartanburg, SC 29306 (864) 582-7750 Sally Bette's 9492 Ayscough Road Summerville, SC 29485 (843) 937-6211 Tennessee The Cotton Mill Grace’s Plaza 4009 Hillsboro Rd. Suite 105 Nashville, TN 37215 (615) 866-2734 (615) 866-2188 Virginia Kiskadee 2205 Mount Vernon Ave Alexandria, VA 22301 (703) 549-0813 Monkee's of Fredericksburg 827 Caroline Street Fredericksburg, VA 22401 (540) 368-2111 Janice Cain Stationary 316 Brown Street Martinsville, VA 24112 (276) 638-3282 Antigua Lipstick P.O. Box W1923 St. John's, Antigua (268) 562-

USC Homecoming and the Outstanding Alumni Award

i always knew i would attend USC. my dad was a graduate and after he passed away when i was 5 i thought he would be proud if i carried on the family tradition, and so i did. in 2001 i was initiated into Kappa Delta sorority on the horse shoe. i met my met my best friend there, studied for tests there and learned my grandmother had passed away while walking the brick path to class. the horseshoe at USC holds memories that cover a litany of emotions.

what a honor it was to be awarded the Outstanding Alumni Award for 2011 and even more rewarding to receive the award at Rutledge Chapel on the horse shoe. i never felt like an outstanding student, but i did feel like a hard worker. my mom says that runs in our family and when i am discouraged she reminds me of how proud my dad must be. many of you know that i named my "kitchen table endeavor" LaRoque, to honor him.

homecoming at USC brings back a flood of emotions. the theme of homecoming my freshman year in 2001 was "a family tradition." aptly so, homecoming always makes me think of my family. although my dad was not at the award ceremony i knew he was there "in spirit".

USC has taught me many things both as a student and a graduate. most importantly i have learned that you can make a living off of your life. what an honor to be a part of a University that allows me to give back and be apart of traditions that will always be nostalgic. i am grateful to have a career that is fueled and supported by a university that my father was apart of.

for me, homecoming at USC will always be a family tradition.

Photo shoot with Palmetto Health, George Fulton and wondering what defines something as extraordinary.

webster define extraordinary as "very unusual or remarkable."

i have been asked to be apart of a lot of really extraordinary things over the last few years.

i have seen a glimpse into worlds that without laroque i never would have.

i have seen the unglamorous side of bridal world.

the reality of the fashion industry.

the stress of retail.

the joys and struggles of a small business.

i have seen what the pageant world is really like.

i have judged garments made out of trash in the name of recycling.

have bought buttons in foreign places where the clerk and i spook the different languages.

i have been apart of the happiest times in my clients lives.

seen that it is possible to make a living off of your life.

i have met famous designers and up and coming artist.

i have seen why manufacturing in america is worth the extra cost.

i have experienced what it really takes to put on a fashion show.

i have been criticized and praised for being a young woman and an entrepreneur.

i have made dresses for colon cancer survivors out of ties and scarves of cobalt blue.

i know what its like to have people both love and dislike you and they don't even know you.

the fabric of my life has been weaved in an extraordinary way over the last five years.

last week came another humbling opportunity to be apart of a great cause. what an honor it was to be asked to be a representative for Palmetto's Health's extraordinary woman's campaign. the term "extraordinary" is an interesting label. yes, i have had an interesting path paved along the way by exceptionally wonderful and sometimes bazar events but i know that i had little to do with making those events life changing. it was, rather, the sum of everyone involved made those events extraordinary.

severing woman in the midlands is a large part of what makes Palmetto Health a great hospital and resource for south carolina. for each decade in life a woman in south carolina was chosen to represent woman in our state. what an honor. to sweeten the pot i was photographed by George Fulton for the promotional material for the campaign. i have always admired his work. his advertising and editorial work has been seen on many national campaigns. what a privilege to sit on the other side of his lens.

here is the view from his crew.

and the view from my prospective...

Palmetto Health is the health sponsor for the columbia women's show, to be held in feb. 2012 at the convention center. these photos, as well as the others from the five woman chosen will be on display to tell the story of a woman's health throughout her lifetime.

here, again, i believe that it will be the sum of all the parts that will work together to make the extraordinary woman campaign "extraordinary."

International interior design fashion show!

unique combinations of textiles and interior design materials took the stage in rare form on saturday night. fabric swatches, carpet remnants, and wall paper normally used for interior design projects walked the runway in garment form. uniquely designed and creatively assembled teams from the International Interior Design Association gathered to designed futuristic frocks. of all the events i have been asked to judge, each year this event tops the list.

{with the other judges}

giving a nod to florence knoll, who was the first to address the needs of commercial spaces came the inspiration for garment below. the design of this garment and use of textile textures in woven fabrics, this "iconic orange" frock was a sight to see.

right brian? left brain? the measure of a truly great designer is the ability to use and balance both sides of the brain. to creatively think of a design and to use logic and reason for assembly to insure practicality in function. this dress demonstrated how both sides of the brain must be balanced. one side of the dress was colorful and whimsical while the other classic and practical.

taking a twist on the word "bespoke" commonly used to describe made to measure by way of mens suiting this dress was custom draped and lazar cut in places to fit the model.

and, of course, love the exaggerated bow detail.

using a table leg as a staff and arm rest for a shield this modern warrior princess creatively combined elements of every day commercial design in a futurist manner. the strong liner lines of the skirt mimicked the theme.

madonna inspired details combined with unique accessories made this arc-con inspired entry another favorite. love this skirt... maybe she will donate it to my closet? love the tailored look with exaggerated ruffle hem.

another creative use of material. work binder, wall covering and tape turn into the modern briefcase. love that concept.

hello spring 2012

here is a sneak peak at spring 2012.

this is our third wholesale collection. we are busy here, organizing orders and ordering fabric. we just hit 40 stores to carry our wholesale line. now you can find LaRoque from maine to florida. i remember the first label was a monogramed ribbon. the lady made me order 50 and i was thinking, "how will i ever use all theses?" this spring we will construct over 600 pieces for the wholesale collection. where we will store 600 dresses from production to the ship date? maybe my dinning room will be a mini storage for a few months. the fall orders numbered around 200 pieces and that seemed like a lot.

its overwhelming to think about, but i am so greatfull for all the support and interest.

below is a picture from market in atlanta:

me, along with michael perry and his staff who run the show room that reps my line. couldn't do it without them!

the sunday dress

there are several new styles that i am very excited about. the long sunday skirt, the picnic dress, the sunday dress and the new tunic style dress to name a few. the spring collection consist of three lines perfect for pool side, porch front or pew side. you will find mod prints and classic strips in lime, aqua and coral.

i hope you will like all the new pieces! we will be posting the pictures from the photo shoot very soon. stay tuned.

xoxo,

annabelle

wondering where you can find us? here is the link

{we will be adding the new store very soon so check back}

http://www.shoplaroque.com/locations.html

we love the gamecocks and dressing for a game!

it's that time of year. the weather gets cooler, the days get shorter and saturdays are spent at the tailgate. each year we design a game day collection. pieces perfect to cheer on the team yet classic enough to wear on a date or a fall wedding without screaming... " here i am in my game day outfit"

here are some pictures from the last game where i spotted some LaRoque frocks, tops, shorts and sashes. and before you non gamecock fans worry, yes these looks are available in other colors so, you too, can sport game day fancy at your next tailgate.

the shop from a fathers prospective....

one of the things i love most about my work is the relationships i have formed over the last five years. i will never forget many of my clients who have become friends. an older lady, a college student.. a neighbor. rarely do i make a connection with the father of my clients. they often are unseen supporters, sometimes not by choice and only recognizable by the name on the amex card.

one family in columbia is different. dad always brings the girls to shop for special events. i like that. dad being apart of something that can make a daughter feel beautiful, special and unique. i never had this having grown up with out my father and always wondered what it would have been like. one day, in a far away time, id like to have a family with someone who would interact with our daughters this way.

larry sent me one of my favorite emails i have ever received:

his experience with laroque spanning the last few years.

i wanted to share it with you.

A Place Called LaRoque

I first came to meet Annabelle, the proprietor, fashion designer, seamstress, marketing department, floor manager for sales, and chief cook and bottle washer for LaRoque on a rainy spring afternoon in 2008.

We had fished the entire pond of Columbia’s spring fashion offerings and were driving home disappointed and empty handed, our moods as grey as the overcast sky when we spotted a baby blue and white striped seersucker sundress in the rain streaked window of a place called LaRoque on a street called Devine.

“I’ve never noticed that boutique before,” my fifteen year old daughter commented from the passenger seat.

“Me either. Want to give it a try?” said yes in a voice tinged with despair. We were shopping for a party dress that she could wear to the high school graduation celebration of her older sister and we were running out of time.

we parked around back and hugged the building for shelter against the May shower until we got to the front door which we pushed open only to find ourselves standing in the entrance of an upscale women’s intimate apparel shop. My daughter and I exchanged questioning glances before spotting what was either a large closet or a small shop off to our right and in its plate glass window the dress we had seen from the street.

“Hi. Welcome to LaRoque,” a petite, pretty, young woman greeted us from what I would come to understand was not a closet but a studio. My recollection is that the young woman, who introduced herself as Annabelle, was simultaneously smiling and talking around the pins she was holding in her mouth while expertly guiding a pair of seamstress’ shears through some richly colored patterned material on its way to becoming a fashion statement. Several hand tailored dresses crowded the walls in competition for space in the confined area allotted to LaRoque. And that, as they say, was the beginning. She tried on the seersucker dress. Annabelle fitted it for a slight alteration and when She walked into the graduation party a few days later wearing her LaRoque original there was no shortage of compliments on her dress.

Time passed and when the need came for something to wear for my oldest to go to sorority rush we found ourselves back in the studio shop on Devine. On another occasion, when the question was a little black dress, the answer was Annabelle’s, as I had come to think of it. And over time LaRoque outgrew its corner window closet space and occupied the entirety of the building.

It was only natural then that when, three years later, when my youngest was preparing for her sorority rush we, along with sister as her fashion consultant, sought out the Queen of Southern haute couture. By this time, Annabelle’s designs had spread far beyond Devine Street, past the city limits of Columbia, over the borders of South Carolina and even to the venerable pages of the New York Times. It was nice to think we could say “we knew her when”.

it was mid-afternoon in mid-August when I found a parking space in front of Annabelle’s business neighbor, a Greek restaurant called Devine Foods. Once inside Laroque, there was Annabelle dressed in a pair of black runway shorts and coordinated top. I have always thought Annabelle is easily the best advertisement for her clothing line. Reprising the role in which my daughter and I had first seen her, Annabelle welcomed us while deftly brandishing a sewing needle loaded with thread that she was using to make final alterations to a garment. It occurred to me that Annabelle is a perpetual motion, multi-tasking machine.

Adorning the interior walls of the boutique were the results of the creative side of the proprietor’s brain in the form of dresses, skirts and blouses clustered on display hangars like small groups of friends flocking together in girl talk. In the studio birthplace area of LaRoque, Annabelle stood among a scattering of hounds tooth, black and white checked skirts that she was packaging for shipping and that would soon enough adorn the comely waists of fashion conscience women and girls at college football games on Saturdays and church on Sundays during the autumn season ahead.

A visit to LaRoque is more than a shopping trip. It is a social outing. While my daughters poured over the new styles, I took a place on a love seat across a coffee table from a young woman Annabelle introduced as Mama April who, although it would turn out was pregnant, had been dubbed “Mama” long before by Annabelle in that peculiar way Southerners have of adopting close friends as family by referring to them as Aunt so-and-so or Uncle this or that. It is a term of endearment. My children were ten and twelve before they discovered the wives of my best friends whom I always referred to as Aunt Gail and Aunt Karen had no branch on our family tree which explained why my girls never saw them at family reunions.

From a speaker somewhere above and behind me a Dylan tune caught my attention.

“Who’s the Bob Dylan fan?” I asked. No one in the shop but me could have possibly remembered that Sixties poet and icon.

I like Bob Dylan,” Annabelle owned up. “In college I dated a guy who would take me to a perch with a beautiful vista near Capstone dorm at USC and we would get drunk on cheesecake and Dylan.”

“I would love to be a fly on the wall in this place,” I said.

“I’m telling you. It’s like a beauty shop in here sometimes,” Annabelle confessed.

By this time, my daughter had tried on a dress, a skirt and the runway shorts and sister had joined me on the love seat. She liked the dress.

You know what I bet would look good on you? Annabelle said it more as a statement than a question. “We could make that dress out of this material,” she suggested producing a fabric from a recent buyer’s trip to Mood’s in New York. “This is Milly.”

I had no idea who or what Milly is or was but my daughters and Mama April seemed duly impressed so I didn’t ask.

“I love it,” my youngest cut her blue eyes in the direction of sister who gave her a nodding approval.

“Great. Let’s take your measurements,” Annabelle said grabbing pad, pen and tape measure.

“Annabelle,” Mama April said, switching subjects, “you remember the dress I bought off of your back? I was going out of town and needed something to wear,” she said, directing the story toward me. “I came in here and liked what Annabelle was wearing so I bought it and took it with me. I wore it until I got tired of hearing the compliments.”

“And I gave you a previously worn discount,” Annabelle, always the entrepreneur, reminded.

“Alright,” Annabelle said, finishing the measurements. “When do you need this?” Sorority rush would be in late September and a final fitting would be required. They worked out a “due date” for the dress and I traded the swipe of a plastic card for the promise of a future LaRoque original and we said our goodbyes to Annabelle and Mama April.

As we were leaving, two other young women arrived, no doubt shopping for that “look” that would define them. They had come to the right place. On the way home, it occurred to me that when my daughters reflect back on some of the most important social occasions of their early years, they are going to remember that a place called LaRoque was part of it.

the fall line in a boutique near you!

we have been busy at LaRoque! the fall wholesale line is in full swing.

hang tags tied. hooks, eyes and buttons on skirts and fancy fall frocks.

garments pressed, everything in a hanging bag and they are off to a boutique near you!

some of our favorite looks for fall....

the trudy one shoulder in hounds tooth

eleanor wrap dress in gold

hartley backless shift with coral sash

annie ruffle top and laura pleat skirt

caroline bow top and brittan skirt

annie ruffle top and jodi bow skirt

very pleased and excited to announce that our fall line is now in available in the following boutiques along the east coast. to see the complete collection visit our website

http://www.shoplaroque.com/collection.html

Locations: Flagship Shop: LaRoque 2700 devine street columbia, sc 29205 (803) 765-6062 Antigua Lipstick P.O. Box W1923 St. John's, Antigua (268) 562-1130 Alabama The Shopt For Pappagallo 2803 Cahaba Road Birmingham, AL 35223 (205) 870-0470 Holiday 4513 Old Shell Road Mobile, AL 36608 (251) 342-4911 Florida Snappy Turtle 1100 E. Atlantic Ave. Delray Beach, FL 33445 (561) 276-8088 Joy of Palm Beach 233 Royal Poinciana Way Palm Beach, FL 33804 (561) 833-4569 Georgia Ginger Howard Selections 3164 Peachtree Road NE Atlanta, GA 30305 (404) 869-0115 Soho 435 Highland Ave. Augusta, GA 30909 (706) 738-6884 The Blue Door 6501 Whitesville Rd #400 Columbus, GA 31904 (706) 596-0139 Magnolia Hill 2521 Airport Thruway # 100-B Columbus, GA 31904 (706) 507-4415 Crimson and Clover 205 S. 7th Street Cordele, GA 31015 (229) 273-7555 Threads on Mulberry 124 Savannah Avenue Suite G-1 Statesboro, GA 30458 (912) 489-5189 Only Options 1421 Gornto Road Valdosta, GA 31602 (229) 244-1807 Kentucky Alma Hall Inc. Pappagallo 600 US 31W Byp Ste 8 Bowling Green, KY 42101 (270) 781-6831 The Cotton Patch 3367 Tates Creek Road Lexington, KY 40502 (859) 269-8839 Blossoms 805 Frederica Street Owensboro, KY 42301 (270) 689-2229 Louisiana Town and Country 1514 St. Charles Avenue New Orleans, LA 70130 (504) 523-7027 North Carolina Monkee’s of Biltmore 7 All Souls Cres Asheville, NC 28803 (828) 277-6002 M Christopher's 111 Reynolda Vlg, #B Winston-Salem, NC 27106 (336) 722-4520 South Carolina Warren on King 154 King Street Charleston, SC 29401 Miss. Lizzie 819 Front Street Georgetown, SC 29440 (843) 546-0495 Sugar Boutique 203 Waller Street Greenwood, SC 29646 (864) 229-6322 Minnie's Giftique 142 E Carolina Avenue Hartsville, SC 29550 (843) 383-6380 Jessica’s 316 Mill Street Manning, SC 29102 (803) 433-5555 Taylor’s 11412 Ocean Hwy #B Pawleys Island, SC 29585 (843) 237-9500 Three Sisters 146A E. Main Street Spartanburg, SC 29306 (864) 582-7750 Sally Bette's 9492 Ayscough Road Summerville, SC 29485 (843) 937-6211 Tennessee The Cotton Mill Grace’s Plaza 4009 Hillsboro Rd. Suite 105 Nashville, TN 37215 (615) 866-2734 (615) 866-2188 Virginia Kiskadee 2205 Mount Vernon Ave Alexandria, VA 22301 (703) 549-0813 Monkee's of Fredericksburg 827 Caroline Street Fredericksburg, VA 22401 (540) 368-2111 Janice Cain Stationary 316 Brown Street Martinsville, VA 24112 (276) 638-3282