This fall, Frances Valentine, the apparel-and-accessories boutique with stores in states like New York, Texas, and Florida, is making its South Carolina debut with a new store in Charleston. What Now spoke on Wednesday with a Frances Valentine co-founder and CEO Elyce Arons, who says the new store is working to open at 308 King St this October.
“We’ve wanted a store in Charleston since the beginning,” said Arons. “The last I was looking at it was in 2019, but of course, once COVID came, that put a stop to everything. But it was all serendipitous: this the perfect location.”
In addition to launching Frances Valentine in 2016, Arons co-founded the handbag-and-accessories label Kate Spade (together with Kate Spade) in 1990s and is the author of the memoir We Might Just Make It After All: My Best Friendship with Kate Spade.
With Frances Valentine, the experience built with Kate Spade has been brought to bear, leading to more products and a more comprehensive approach. Though Frances Valentine began with just handbags and shoes, it added apparel in 2019, and has seen considerable success on that front.
“Apparel has really taken off, because we do a lot of occasion dressing, in bright colors,” Arons says. “The quality is just beautiful—for accessories and apparel.”
And so Frances Valentine became a lifestyle brand. And the growth has been from the ground up:
“At Kate Spade we only ever made handbags. We licensed everything else. [At Frances Valentine], we manufacture and distribute everything we make. It’s a tiny group, but we accomplish quite a lot.”
The interior of the Charleston store will be designed by Steve Sclaroff, occupied about 1600 square feet. Opening at 308 King, Frances Valentine will join brands like Hampden, KREWE Charleston, Jordan Lash, and more.
Arons says she’s excited to introduce the brand to Charleston at long last.
“We started Kate Spade when we were 30; this time we were 50. Now, I like more sleeves and more occasion styles,” says Arons. But otherwise, “the aesthetic feels like when we started our first business.
Keep an eye out for Frances Valentine opening at 308 King St this fall. You can keep up with all things Frances Valentine by following @francesvalentine on Instagram.
