Distinctive Style | Pink Suitcase
Photos by Sammie Robinson
Emilie Nichols | Owner
Sarah Gollier | Owner
The Pink Suitcase in Fairlawn Plaza Mall began as a traveling trunk show with owners Emilie Nichols and Sarah Gollier hauling an actual pink trunk into people’s living rooms to showcase chic clothing and accessories.
The two friends met when their husbands, both family medicine physicians, decided to practice in Ottawa.
“Our kids were little and there weren’t any clothing stores in town, so everyone was driving to Kansas City or Topeka to shop,” said Nichols. “That wasn’t going to work for us. We knew some people who’d sold clothing through trunk shows in Arizona, and once we started, we never looked back.”
Both women graduated from the University of Kansas and relied on an expanding base of friends and acquaintances in the area to test their concept before opening their first store in Ottawa in 2009. They built a website in 2010 and opened the Topeka store in 2015.
The Pink Suitcase caters to women 25 to 65 and carries 90 different brands ranging from extra small to extra-large to help customers cultivate their personal style in a convenient location.
The Pink Suitcase’s owners and employees, many of whom have been with the boutique for five years or more, emphasize customer service, including advising shoppers on what looks good and what might look even better.
“We offer the best prices we can and want our customers to love whatever they buy so they feel good in it for both style and comfort,” said Nichols.
The boutique receives new merchandise daily, which Nichols and Gollier handpick at markets in Dallas and Las Vegas. They use local models wearing items to attract attention on social media.
Nichols said straight-leg and skinny jeans, jackets, graphic tees, hats and plaids have remained popular items, along with dresses.
“We’ve seen an explosion in the need for dresses after not selling any for a year and a half because people are finally able to attend events again,” she said.
Nichols, who majored in sports management and formerly coordinated corporate sponsorships and events for the Kansas City Chiefs, and Gollier, a physical therapist, have been able to create a business that allows them to fill a need for themselves and others with flexibility to focus on family too.
Nichols has two teenage daughters and Gollier has a senior in high school and two children in college.
“We both put our families first and have adapted as needed so that we haven’t had to miss anything,” said Nichols.
Adaptation is a core attribute for Nichol’s and central to The Pink Suitcase’s business model, whether it’s an interaction with a customer or a market merchandising shift.
“You have to know your customers, pay attention to trends, be flexible and adapt as you go as different things happen,” she said. “Sarah and I never put ourselves in a situation where we couldn’t maneuver our way through.”
Nichols said she also draws on lifelong lessons gleaned from college coursework and previous professional positions in her entrepreneurial role.
“Taking care of all the details and using social media and every aspect of everything I learned in school and in my other jobs has helped me in working with Sarah to manage and market the business,” she said. “We’ve been very lucky to have so many loyal customers and employees, and we’ve made it work.”
