Kaela Arguelles is an up and coming fashionista in DFW, founder of Opal the Label, a new clothing line focusing on ready-wear, affordable and fashionable apparel for every lifestyle of active women. Her background includes designer co-ops at various design companies in the US, then she landed a full-time designer position at Abercrombie & Fitch Co.
Her entrepreneurial spirit led her to launch her own brand in fall of 2020 and she has not looked back. We had a chance to learn how she built her own website, Instagram and TikTok pages and how she is using them for an integrated marketing strategy.
Check out the interview…
AdChat DFW: What is your background and why did you decide to launch Opal the Label?
Kaela: I graduated from the University of Cincinnati DAAP (Design, Art, Architecture, and Urban Planning) program in the spring of 2018 with a bachelors of science in Fashion Design. During my time in college, I was able to secure 5 co-ops (internships) with various design companies around the US and my love for fashion grew through these. Through connections I had made while in school, I was hired as a full-time designer at Abercrombie & Fitch Co. and spent three and a half years learning about how a brand works. In the fall of 2020, I decided to leave A&F and decided to pursue my lifelong dream of owning my own fashion brand and that is how OTL was born. Ever since I was a child I have wanted to be my own boss and learn how to run my own fashion business and I am so lucky that I am now able to say I’ve done just that.
AdChat DFW: What differentiates your clothing brand from other fashion brands in the marketplace?
Kaela: What I believe differentiates Opal The Label from other fashion brands is my background as a designer and my knowledge of materials, quality, and my eye for design. Although my brand is wholesale at the moment, I work very hard to curate a collection of clothing for women that is true to size, quality made, and is always sold for a fair price. I also have a message behind my brand that is all about self-empowerment that I portray mostly through social media because I feel that people should feel as good as they do in their clothes as they do while shopping!
AdChat DFW: Why did you name it Opal the Label?
Kaela: I landed on the name Opal the Label for the simple reason that I love the opal stone and what it symbolizes- I believe that it is a good underlying message for my brand. Opal stones are known to promote insight and can help connect you to your inner creativity and imagination. It is an extraordinary stone of healing and brings high spirits and I wanted that to make sure that resonates with my brand by using the tagline “be opalescent” in all of my packaging, website, and throughout my media.
AdChat DFW: How did you decide the look and feel of the website?
Kaela: I know I wanted my website to feel very clean on a white background with pops of color throughout for an element of fun and excitement and to keep the customer engaged. I also work hard to update my website often to give my customers something new and fresh to visit.
AdChat DFW: How did approach creating your app and how do you market to the general public?
Kaela: I built my website through Wix and it has been such an amazing platform to use. I am very grateful it is so easy because I built this website from the ground up all on my own so there was a lot of learning involved and I couldn’t have done it without the guidance of this development company. Mainly I market to the general public through the social media platforms Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook. I create many videos or photo posts weekly to post on these platforms and I use hashtags to help reach others out there who may be looking for products like mine. I also like to create weekly or bi-weekly emails to engage with my current customers and to keep them hooked on my brand and excited about what’s to come.
AdChat DFW: How are you using social platforms to market your product?
Kaela: I use Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook as my main social platforms and these have been great avenues for me to reach new and existing customers. I try to post every other day (and sometimes more) on my Instagram feed and I also make sure that I am utilizing the stories function of Instagram because that is where I have the highest foot traffic of potential customers. I also like to make my stories interactive by creating polls and answer boxes so I can make sure that I hear the customer’s voice. I like to try and post a few TikTok’s every week because through my research, women love to shop off of a video so they can see how the clothing moves and fits on your body rather than a stagnant photo.
AdChat DFW: What do you want your customer to come away with after purchasing from you?
Kaela: I truly want my customers to come away from a purchase feeling so great! I want their experience from first seeing the item on social media to purchasing online to be seamless and for them to receive their item knowing it is exactly what is portrayed on the site. I always hear women asking if an item is “true to size” or saying “boutique sizing is always different” and I want my shop to be a place where women can confidently buy clothing knowing it will fit and they will feel good in it. My customer experience continues even after they purchase the item through how I package their order. I love being creative with each order and that is why I make sure to include a unique, handwritten note to each customer thanking them for their support! I include this note along with pretty gold tissue paper that wraps their items and a sticker that is sure to make them smile! I use bright pink poly-mailers to send their order so you know when you see that fushia package that your Opal the Label order is there! Knowing that I can put a smile on the faces of my customers is the biggest reason that I started OTL, and I am so grateful I get to do it each day
AdChat DFW: Anything else?
Kaela: My boutique is currently online only and based in the Dallas area, but my goal one day is to be able to open a brick and mortar and to reach people all over the world. My goal for this boutique is to one day be able to sell my own designs and stray away from being a wholesale buyer. I also want to become a more inclusive brand with extended sizing, and diversity, and to continue delivering a unique customer experience. I have a long way to go but I’m just getting started with all the ideas that I have!
Find Opal The Label website here, and also its Instagram and TikTok pages.
