Introducing LiLi + KoKo

  

Hey Kittens! Lisa (LiLi) + Courtney (KoKo) here. Welcome to our boutique + our inaugural blog. We’re grateful to have you here with us + plan to post these from time to time to help you get to know us and what we’re about, including our mission to help women of any size + age feel good in the clothes they wear. But you’ll also see some fun stuff along the way (did someone say Travel Tuesdays?).

To kick things off – we thought you might enjoy learning about how LiLi + KoKo came to be. There will be some laughs, maybe a few tears, but all in all our journey together has been one hell of a ride, so grab a cup of coffee (or a glass of champs) + sit back + enjoy!

LiLi + KoKo is the brainchild of two women who met over a decade ago when they both relocated to Charlotte, NC + had the good fortune of becoming next door neighbors. Courtney (KoKo) is originally from Dallas + Lisa (LiLi) hails from Connecticut. They’re from different regions of the country, different age groups (Courtney’s in her 40’s, Lisa her 50’s), subscribe to different politics + religions, have different views on parenting (Courtney + her husband Chris have two beautiful children, Ashton & Jonathan. Lisa + her husband Todd are D.I.N.K.’s) (LiLi: hey don’t forget about Jack! Woof!) + take different approaches to beauty – think Sparkle Barbie vs. Boho Barbie, we’ll let you guess which one is which.

But over the years, they’ve learned they’re also a lot alike. They like the same music, have a love of fashion for both the body + home, share a lot of the same ethics (+ the same shoe size!!!!), + don’t mind digging in + getting dirty to get the job done. Let’s not even begin to talk about their shared obsession with coffee + champs (KoKo: I mean who doesn’t love coffee + champs?) (LiLi: + not always in that order!)

In 2010, Courtney’s first introduction to Lisa was seeing her on the sidewalk in front of her house throwing out F bombs because the builder had screwed up. (LiLi: They put the wrong facing on the front of the house y’all, cussing was warranted, no?) (Koko: Gurrl – damn straight, you don’t mess with a girl’s aesthetic). Courtney thought to herself, this girl’s crazy but I think I kinda like it.

When Courtney went to see what the fuss was, Lisa got her first glimpse of her new neighbor + thought – wow, her hair, nails + makeup are perfect, who is this woman + how do I get to know her? Well, they got to talking, Courtney introduced herself + Lisa blurted out: “Hi, I’m Lisa your new neighbor + you’re gonna be my new best friend!” Courtney responded: “Um, ok!” + just like that, their lasting friendship was born. (KoKo: True story y’all) (LiLi: Damn straight).

Over the years they’ve shared many ups:

• New homes, or in Lisa’s case, many new homes (KoKo: Girl, stay put please you’re making me dizzy) (LiLi: Can’t help it, I get bored)
• Kids graduating high school (LiLi: Wait what? Damn I’m getting old!) (Koko: Don’t even start)
• New jobs, some good, some… not so much (LiLi/KoKo: Ugh)

As well as some downs:

• Loss of jobs… see above
• Family illnesses
• Loss of loved ones (LiLi: Not gonna lie, losing both parents within a year of each other sucked) (KoKo: Girl, I got you)

Through it all, they’ve had each other. (LiLi/KoKo: Yes ma’am!)

They started talking about going into business together several years ago + wondered how they could capitalize on their shared passion for fashion (LiLi: Hey that rhymes!). But with many people, life kept getting in the way (KoKo: + Lisa kept moving) (LiLi: Hey!). Fast forward to 2020.

December 2020:

LiLi: “Courtney, I’m about to turn 50 + feel like I need to take a chance + go big on something. You know I’ve always wanted to own my own business. I love you + just feel like if we teamed up, we could kick some serious ass.”

KoKo: “Aww, I love you too girl + I agree, we think alike, we’re always on the same wavelength, + we’ve been talking about doing something together forever. Let’s do it!”

As their first love has always been fashion, they decided on a women’s boutique. (Side note: At one point Lisa + Courtney talked about building a sky way between their homes connecting their closets). Now while Lisa + Courtney share similar tastes, they have different body types; Lisa has an athletic build (LiLi: Code for small boobs), while Courtney’s more curvy (LiLi: Code for the boobs I’ve always wanted). It was therefore important to them to find an aesthetic that could appeal to everyone, no matter their size or shape.

In addition, as they got older, they realized there was an expectation they should dress more conservatively (LiLi: Code for boring!) (KoKo: Oh, hell no!) + had a hard time finding clothes that still made them feel pretty (KoKo: + sassy!), but also didn’t show off everything (LiLi/KoKo: Some things people just don’t need to see).

So, while they’re young at heart, clothes geared to the 20 something crowd wasn’t cutting it (LiLi: You expect me to put my whole body into that? That won’t fit one of my thighs). While the clothing geared towards women their age made them feel frumpy (KoKo: I’m older, not dead).

And LiLi + KoKo was born! Their mission is to offer quality, on-trend styles that are affordable for women of any size, at any life-stage. To make available pieces that are accessible, season concise, easy to mix + match + allow the wearer to move from Zoom meetings to date night without missing a beat. We hope you agree – they’re killing it!

“You can have anything you want in life, if you dress for it” – Edith Head