INDIANAPOLIS — Black History Month marks the anniversary of a new venture for siblings who have a flair for fashion.
The owners of Runway Diva Boutique are three sisters who opened 10 years ago. They expect to be in business now for another 10 years after surviving 2020.
The Runway Diva Boutique is located at East 56th Street near Keystone Avenue in Indianapolis.
Fanta Jackson and two of her sisters have always loved fashion. They got it innocently from their mother and grandmother who both love to dress up.
The three sisters, Fanta, Kwanza, and Ebony, are always adding to their business venture by being creative with things like jewelry accessories and even hairstyle suggestions for their customers.
"We're like an all-purpose boutique," said Kwanza Dickerson. "Ebony does hair, I do makeup, we do styling."
"You are going to come out here looking good and be happy with your purchase," Fanta said.
They sell stylish attire year-round for every occasion. For example, the sisters made sure they had a selection of red dresses for women wanting to purchase new attire for Valentine's Day.
When the pandemic hit last year, forcing some businesses to close, they got creative.
"We had days where we had to open just for people to pick up their orders, so that was our most creative time," Kwanza said.
Their other creative moves include promoting the boutique on social media. The sisters repeatedly offered online incentives like gift card raffles, 50 percent off clothing items, and Black Friday discounts.
One customer favorite is the store's $20 room.
"People fly to that $20 room," Fanta said.
The online sales also helped the boutique owners expand their customer base.
"We now have customers on the west coast and all over the United States," Kwanza said.
Now as business bounces back slowly but surely, the sisters, who are strong in their faith, believe their determination over the past 10 years is an example for others, especially young people.
"I want to grow and do another 10, 20, 30," Kwanza said. "I just want to pass this on to our children."
"I just give God all the Glory," said Fanta Jackson, "I can't wait to see what He has for us the next 10 years."
The sisters told 13News that even when things are totally back to normal, they plan to keep their online presence because sales have been so good.