Even as a student in high school, senior managerial and organizational communications (MOCM) major, Sarah Rummeloff, had always enjoyed a love of fashion. In recent months she has made first steps towards owning a storefront boutique by establishing her website, RumsBeach.
“About five months ago, I had the realization that I should start now with an online boutique,” said Rummeloff. “It is less expensive than a storefront and I can do it from anywhere.”
Rummeloff is currently the founder, manager and social media coordinator of her website. Each day, Rummeloff posts about a clothing item, a trend or just a fun quote that she thinks embodies the unique brand she is creating. Almost every piece of clothing she sells is a RumsBeach original, hand made or custom created to fit each order.
She works with photographers and models to coordinate shoots, her most recent of which took place at the abandoned Knapps Castle in Santa Barbara. Photographer and friend, senior visual arts major Mackenzie Rouse has helped Rummeloff shoot photos in the past and says that while this shoot was specific to fall looks, every shoot stays true to the RumsBeach theme.
“RumsBeach definitely has a bohemian style so the vibe I was trying to achieve with the last photo shoot was free spirited and dream-like, with muted colors and hazy lighting,” said Rouse. “Sarah has a vision for her shoots so each time the specifics may be different but the overall aesthetic stays true to her company.”
While RumsBeach may have a very professional look today, it had humble beginnings as Rummeloff had no previous experience with creating a website.
“I really did a lot of googling and reading about the steps to take when starting your own business,” said Rummeloff. “There are certain licenses and requirements that I had to meet prior to selling and I paid for all of the start up costs out of my own pocket.”
A typical day for Rummeloff involves taking orders for items, coordinating social media and talking with designers. Almost all of her designers create, hand made or custom pieces and Rummeloff sees that uniqueness as a way to attract customers to her pieces.
The inspiration for the pieces on Rummeloff’s site include the many places she has traveled to, particularly Turkey and Morocco, as well as the relaxed style of a beach town. Rummeloff has also named some of her pieces after her roommates; three kimonos each with a different floral pattern to represent the support they have shown her throughout her journey.
One of her roommates, senior MOCM major Kaycie Hanlin, has lived with Rummeloff for the past year and a half and has been a source for Rummeloff to bounce ideas off of. She believes Rummeloff is the perfect person to run a successful business and is in full support of where the site is going.
“Sarah is a very independent and driven person and when she finds something she is passionate about, she fully commits herself,” said Hanlin. “She has fully invested herself in this business and now that it is up and running, I know she is going to do everything she can to make it successful.”
To check out Rummeloff’s boutique visit shoprumsbeach.com.
