From months of selling bohemian-style clothing at street fairs to the countless days spent within the walls of a small warehouse, Gypsy Queen’s days of being known as a mobile boutique are officially over.
After years of hard work and dedication, the Downey-based boho-chic boutique finally reached over $100,000 in sales, in turn launching it in the path of its largest storefront yet.
The boutique, which strives to sell women’s clothing unlike any other local store, differentiates itself through the sell of vintage items, rock T-shirts, oversized tops and wide array of pieces which can be easily transformed from day-to-night outfits.
Founded in 2015, Gypsy Queen was launched after Cal State Long Beach public relations major Erika Gonzalez’s stepfather arrived at home with a trailer, meant for kickstarting the business.
“My step dad always knew what my mom and I wanted to do, so one day he came home with the trailer and was like, ‘Alright let’s do this, let’s get this started,’” said Gonzalez. “So, my mom and he fixed the trailer up and made it boutiquey, like a mobile closet.”
Gonzalez initially began selling clothing out of the customized mobile boutique at locations like the Downey street fair and the Orange County swap meet; however, it was the Monrovia street fair that could be credited for adding to Gypsy Queen’s social presence, as that was where customers began noticing the business on social media, in turn leading to an increased following.
Gaining over 12,000 followers on Instagram since its days at the Monrovia street fair, Gypsy Queen’s owner also attributes part of its success to social media, as Gonzalez says it has played a role in the generation of revenue, which has tripled since 2015.
“Social media, for our generation, is key,” Gonzalez said. “If it wasn’t for social media, I don’t think we would be as successful as we are today.”
Aside from the success social media has brought to the business, Gonzalez says the name was also a factor. After being inspired by women’s clothing retailer Nasty Gal, she, too, wanted to create something that would capture people’s attention and have meaning.
Gypsy Queen was chosen as the store name for two reasons. Gonzalez explained that her stepfather would always call her and her sister gypsies because they were never home. Queen, derived from her pageant winning title as Miss Downey 2011.
Although the word “gypsy” is controversial because of a loaded racial history involving Romani culture, Gonzalez assures her customers the store name is not meant to offend anyone.
“We are a brand that represents love for everyone,” Gonzalez said. “The Gypsy Queen girl represents a free-spirited soul who loves life and adventure.”
Six months after the commencement of the mobile boutique, Gypsy Queen opened its first store in Downey. The location, a small warehouse, was used until October 2016, at which point enough revenue was made to expand to a new Downey storefront, twice the size of the first.
Although the store’s success continues to grow and Gonzalez is living her dream, juggling both school and the business during the last semester as an undergrad has not always been easy.
“It has been really hard, it’s all about time management,” Gonzalez said. “I really try to set my priorities in line, but sometimes I catch myself working on Gypsy Queen stuff versus school and I have to get myself out of it.”
Prior to the opening of the most recent location, Gonzalez, her parents and siblings would coordinate shifts at the store to minimize schedule conflicts, something they no longer have to worry about as they have recently hired three new employees.
Soany Morataya, one of the newest hires, said she decided to work at the boutique due to its uniqueness, as she is also an aspiring business owner. The 22-year-old says the boutique’s festival-like clothing is what differentiates Gypsy Queen from other retailers.
Despite only working at the boutique for one month, Morataya says she has already seen the effort her boss puts in expanding the business.
“She knows what she wants, she is very driven,” said Morataya when describing Gonzalez. “Her store is going to expand and I do believe in that.”
Although the use of the trailer is no longer required, Gypsy Queen will continue using the mobile boutique for pop-up shops and the Downey street market, which the staff plans on participating in later this year.
The driven entrepreneur hopes her story will inspire other students, who are doubting themselves, to follow their dreams.
“If [students] get support from their family or anyway they can and they work hard to do it, I would say just do it no matter what,” said Gonzalez. “Keep it going, don’t stop and be consistent because eventually you could see it grow in the future.”