Today we’d like to introduce you to Windy Kiss Harris.
Windy, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Becoming a teenage mom at the age of 16. I never was able to go to my prom, this was a part of the high school rite of passage I never experienced. Working in the medical field while being a mom and a wife, I needed my own identity. A friend offered me a part-time job at a bridal salon, and I worked in the prom section, where my vision became a reality with the help of my husband.
I realized that girls who were searching for a prom dress really didn’t get a good shopping experience, especially plus-size girls… So that’s how Kiss Kouture was born, one of my customers said ” Kiss Kouture was the best-kept secret”. We cater to every prom girl. Rather a prom girl is a size 0, or a size 32 Kiss Kouture has a dress that was made for her.
We pride ourselves on customer service; rather than your spending $200.00 or $2,000, we treat all our customers the same. When a customer comes into our salon, the parent has a seat, and one of our Kiss Kouture Consultants takes over from sizing to giving a general overview of gowns and styles to listening and assisting the customer. Our waiting room is fit for all, even all the college football channels for when march Madness interferes with dad helping his princess prom shop.
Kiss Kouture also gives back to the community every year we have a prom dress giveaway for those deserving prom students who aren’t financially able to afford a dress but are so deserving of having a chance to experience prom. Kiss Kouture’s motto is ” Let Us Dress You Up.”
Windy Harris is a known force in the community for many reasons. As a mentor, innovator, and soccer mom, she believes in “Passing on the Blessings.” While navigating through the many challenges in her life, Windy learned that welcoming them was best way to succeed. During the challenges of being a teenage mom, not attending her senior prom, building a career, changing careers, and the loss of loved ones, Windy was taught values such as “Be Strong,” “Don’t Let It Break You,” “Have A Plan,” or “Pray.” She eventually discovered that welcoming whatever came was more powerful, and since then she has let life run its course.
In addition to volunteering with other organizations, Windy has a special connection with a foundation called “Proms for Moms,” which was started 10 years ago by a good friend of hers, Catrina Lewis. The foundation helps underprivileged teens attend their senior prom by having a yearly banquet for adults. All proceeds go to helping teens in the community get what they need to attend and experience their senior prom. Windy understands the importance and impacts it can have when a teen is not able to attend their senior prom.
Windy designed Kiss Kouture to be more than just a dress boutique, and she is dedicated to challenging, empowering, inspiring, and motivating women of all cultures, colors, sizes, and backgrounds to be their own personal best. Windy believes and lives by the simple motto, “nothing is happening to you, but everything is happening for you.” When you step into Kiss Kouture, you will be welcomed by the staff, and the journey can continue.
Giving Back to the community
Kiss Kouture is a groundbreaking new company and a brand that has established roots in the community. The founder and owner of Kiss Kouture has learned and lived through various hardships throughout her life. This has taught her that we as a community must give a helping hand to others who might need assistance. We understand that the current economic state can make it difficult to manage the finances of everyday life. With that being said, the owner of Kiss Kouture would like to offer a helping hand in this important point of a young girl’s life. We feel that this should be a stress-free moment in her life that she can look back on and smile about. Kiss Kouture will be giving away 5 prom dresses to deserving girls in addition to helping those girls showcase the inner beauty they already possess. Kiss Kouture has also collaborated with Keisha Spivey of KSpiveyMua Beauty Service to give the scholarship recipients a full-face prom makeover.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The struggle is always being a small store competing with larger bridal salons. Then Covid happen when Kiss Kouture was moving into its second year of business. And anyone knows that it takes at least 5 years to move out of the red. Being a black businesswoman in the retail industry is challenging in itself; you have to know your customers to keep up with the latest fashion and the different patterns, and I always pride my store on being able to accommodate plus-size teens. And with that being said, it has to not only be able to fit but still make a statement on the customer. It’s some days no one walks into my store but the mail person, and it’s times we get customers from the time we open to when we close. I just always treat each day the same, thankful for another day to be open and keep being positive and continue to create ways to advertise and move my business forward.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Kiss Kouture?
When you walk through the doors of Kiss Kouture, you will be welcomed by the best in the business. Our staff are not salespeople whose main concern is to sell you a dress, because they are paid on commission.
Kiss Kouture employs Style Developers who have years of experience, passion, techniques, and the understanding of creating a style that is empowering, motivating, and timeless.
Kiss Kouture is a groundbreaking new company and a brand that has established roots in the community. The founder and owner of Kiss Kouture have learned and lived through various hardships throughout her life. This has taught her that we as a community must give a helping hand to others who might need assistance. We understand that the current economic state can make it difficult to manage the finances of everyday life. With that being said, the owner of Kiss Kouture would like to offer a helping hand in this important point of a young girl’s life. We feel that this should be a stress-free moment in her life that she can look back on and smile about. Kiss Kouture will be giving away 5 prom dresses to deserving girls in addition to helping those girls showcase the inner beauty they already possess. Kiss Kouture has also collaborated with Keisha Spivey of KSpiveyMua Beauty Service to give the scholarship recipients a full-face prom makeover
Contact Info:
- Website: kissktore.com
- Instagram: kiss kouture Formal Gowns & Kiss Kouture
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KissKoutureGowns/
Image Credits
Terry Stringfellow
Photography by Kim
Brandon Hughes
