A Warm August Welcome To Our Newest Pop-Up: Lucuma Boutique!
Do you have a favorite month? Strange question, maybe, but I can unequivocally say that mine is August…and this month's pop-up at the Seedling Collective made this special month that much more perfect!
As a huge foodie and a fan of eating seasonally, August brings so many flavors, colors, and fragrances into my kitchen. Secondly, my birthday is in August, and for the last couple of years, I've made it a tradition to treat myself to a new dress. Birthday dress shopping has become somewhat of a ritual. In the morning, I make an extra effort to do my hair and makeup for the shopping trip. While out shopping, I treat myself to a nice lunch and a glass of champagne, and while shopping, I promise myself I won't look at the price tag. The last one is the hardest rule to follow, honestly. I can't turn off the rational part of my brain calculating what else I could do with the money I am ready to spend on a dress.
To my luck, as we step into August, The Seedling Collective welcomes our newest pop-up: Lucuma Boutique, a women's clothing and accessory marketplace offering a curated selection of timeless styles at attainable price points. Lucuma Boutique primarily operates as an online shop, but owner Sofia Rocca is based in Arlington, so she jumped at the chance to pop up at The Seedling Collective for the month of August (and during the Alexandria Sidewalk Sale). I sat down recently with Sofia to ask her a couple of questions about the pop-up, her journey in business, and what we should expect from her second time at The Seedling Collective...
1. Tell us about yourself - who you are, where you live, your family, and any business partners.
I am a Miami native living in Arlington, Virginia. I moved to the area with my family in 2018 after our son Ezra was born. I've always enjoyed styling friends and decided to make it a career! Lucuma was founded in August of 2019 after noticing a gap in the local market. Recently, we have begun designing our own pieces in Perú.
2. What made you decide to start your business?
The idea of creating my own retail space started back in high school with my father, who remains the inspiration behind Lucuma. His favorite fruit was the Lucuma fruit - hence the name! While pursuing my bachelor's in Marketing at FIU, I felt it was the right moment to begin an online store. I was a year into my post-partum journey when I felt motivated to begin, and here we are, nearly three years later!
3. Have you ever done a traditional retail concept before? Why did you decide to pop up with Seedling?
I have worked in traditional boutiques in the past, but not for Lucuma. This is our first long-term pop-up - we did a much shorter one with The Seedling Collective a couple of years ago and loved it. Lucuma boutique is an online marketplace where I connect with women to work on their wardrobes and make them feel more confident in their selections. I absolutely love to see people in person, show them our pieces and have them touch and feel our fabrics. Although some may consider this to be the end of the era of the brick-and-mortar marketplace, I see it has evolved. Online is convenient and easy but tricky for some. Online, combined with pop-up shops in local communities, is what I find to be most successful.
4. Any special promotions or workshops going on while you're here?
This month we have invited a few local businesses to join us. We love supporting others, especially women-owned businesses! On July 29, we'll have Sonia from Purapiel offering mini reflexology, where all are welcomed; on August 7, we'll have Washington, D.C. Mom Bloggers host a mini meet-up with local designer DMARAN, artist Theresa Kelly + Amani from Grazed (along with my son, Ezra's lemonade stand). The Sidewalk sale will include discounted samples and a selection of second-hand pieces. We will end our pop-up celebrating our third anniversary on August 26 with beauty expert Luca Ponce. Stay tuned on our Instagram - and make sure to turn on our story notifications! We'll be announcing pop-up events and details there throughout the month.
Lucuma Boutique is popping up at The Seedling Collective from July 29 through August 28. Follow @lucumaboutique on Instagram for event details and special announcements.
