Twenty-Two-Year-Old
Entrepreneur Launches Upscale, Urban Shoe Boutique in Downtown Elmhurst’s
Premier Shopping District
While most 18 year olds were thinking about college, Bianca Rose Ellis
dreamt of owning her own shoe boutique. After one year in the Eastern
Illinois University business program, she decided the shoe fit.
Fall ‘05, Bianca, 22, and her business partner, Aaron Moore,
launched biancarose, a fashion-forward shoe boutique in downtown Elmhurst.
The first luxury shoe store in the shopping district, biancarose fills
a fashion void for local residents and savvy shoppers from the entire
Chicagoland area. The boutique features unique brands like Hispanitas,
a line from Spain, and more exclusive styles from classic labels,
such as Kors by Michael Kors, Stuart Weitzman and Via Spiga.
“I handpick each shoe biancarose carries,” Bianca notes.
“I select styles that aren’t available in large department
stores and know that my customers will trust me to help them find
that perfect, standout shoe.” For example, biancarose is one
of the only stores in the Chicago area to offer the exclusive Blackstone
shoe line, imported from the Netherlands.
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Bianca’s
eye for detail and passion for style is what distinguishes biancarose
from other shoe boutiques.
“We are not an overly trendy boutique, but we do provide distinctive
styles,” she says. “We offer high-fashion shoes, along
with a selection of casual, athletic-inspired, evening and career
styles, for both men and women.”
Customers appreciate Bianca’s knack for predicting future must-have.
She learned about the business and acquired a passion for shoes while
working in management in the shoe department of a large national retailer.
The
most important feature of a shoe to Bianca is comfort. “No matter
how stylish the shoes are, if you are not comfortable in them, it
shows.”
As far as running her own business, Bianca was not intimidated by
the challenge. “Deep down, I was confident that biancarose would
be a success,” she says. “Elmhurst needed a place to find
fashionable shoes and I knew if I stayed true to my instincts, the
boutique would thrive.”
Bianca chose downtown Elmhurst for its convenient location and its
excellent reputation. “The city is experiencing a revitalization
of its shopping district and we wanted to be a part of that movement.
In addition, the boutique is located steps from the Metra Station
which makes it an easy, thirty-minute rail commute for our Chicago
customers.”
Beside shoes, biancarose offers a warm, welcoming atmosphere where
customers are often greeted by name. “This is a fashion boutique
without one ounce of pretentiousness,” Bianca claims. “Our
staff helps customers match shoes to outfits and vise versa. We also
provide information on current styles and upcoming trends.”
In addition to biancarose’s exquisite shoes, the boutique also
offers handbags by Ananas and M. Flynn.
Biancarose is located at 108 W. 2nd Street in downtown Elmhurst. Store
hours are Monday, Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Wednesday
and Thursday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; and Sunday, 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Bianca grew up in Oak Lawn, IL, and attended Mother McAuley Liberal
Arts High School in Chicago. She currently resides in Elmhurst with
her partner Aaron Moore and their Golden Retriever Hózhó.
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