Madison Avenue Boutique: Startup With Support
Author: ERIC SMITH
Photo by JOHN BURNS
Madison Schmidtlein, 24, owns and runs Madison Avenue Boutique, a modern, trendy clothing shop that also has jewelry, accessories and gift options Schmidtlein, who recently graduated from the University of Kansas, has had her store open since early June.
“It’s scary, but it’s also been going a lot better than I expected,” she said. “It’s fun, and I’ve had a lot of people come in and support me. I’ve always just liked fashion. And watching my mom do her store, it seemed like something I’d really enjoy.”
Photo by John Burns
Schmidtlein’s mom, Kelly Schuster, owns Linen Tree & Co., which is just down the terrace from the boutique.
“She’s helped me with everything,” Schmidtlein said. “She’s gone with me to market every time to pick out my product. We go to Dallas usually. There’s a bunch of vendors, and you go through and order what you want. It’s very overwhelming, but it’s nice having her there to help. She’s been really supportive with all my ideas.”
Both said they have enjoyed the unique experience of a mother-daughter combo owning shops at the center.
“She has always wanted to have a little boutique. Once we heard that the Burger Stand was coming in here, we’re like, ‘this is the perfect opportunity to go ahead and do something now,’” Schuster said. “It’s fun. We do a lot of stuff together, and I was able to kind of show her the ropes on owning your own business.”
