Meet Imani P Urbane | Innovative Women’s Lifestyle Boutique Owner and Educator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Imani P Urbane and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Imani, have you ever found yourself in a spot where you had to decide whether to give up or keep going? How did you make the choice?
The major way I knew to keep going is because I did the faith work and praying before I started Beautifully Urbane Clothing Boutique; I literally prayed about it for 2 years before I filed for the business LLC!

The beginning of Beautifully Urbane went amazing, I thought that I would be doing numbers in the thousands for the course of my business, until a few months in, I literally brought barely $300 a month in. There were days that I was depressed and could not leave my bed and thought about shutting the business down within its first year. Despite these feelings I knew that I got the confirmation to open this business, and it was bigger than selling clothes, it was selling modesty, it was selling a lifestyle in a world where women tend to forget who they are; it was sticking to the 5 year plan that the clients turned family members of Beautifully Urbane would be able to see that it turned into a lifestyle brand, helping them in the areas of faith, education, finances and wellness. Because I had the vision and the confirmation at the beginning, I knew I had to keep going; but somethings had to change.

I had to make better money decisions with the business, I had to learn current trends of technology and marketing to gain clients, I had to be more present and personable with my clients. It was not that my business was failing, it was my vision had to grow. If you can lean into the vision, have faith and grow, you should keep going, if you cannot do these things, then it may be time to give it up.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Beautifully Urbane Clothing Boutique was birthed in Brooklyn, New York, March 2020 at the beginning of the covid-19 pandemic in my mother’s apartment (it was truly a dollar and a dream story y’all!) After praying about the idea for 2 years and having retail experience for over 7 years, I took the leap of faith when I read in a book about how clothes are an expression of what’s in our hearts; I knew in that moment that God gave me confirmation.

Our slogan is ” Cultivating Hearts as Well as Closets,” because when I prayed on it, he told me that clothes will just be the beginning. Beautifully Urbane will revolutionize not only women’s clothes, but the hearts of the women that go throughout the world to live purpose. When looking for a name for the boutique, I found the term “Urbane,” and one of its translations means, “redefined, polished, and someone who seems comfortable in social situations.” When you add the word, “Beautifully,” that embodies the person wearing the clothes, and their outer expression becomes as such: a Beautiful person who is redefined and polished, and is comfortable in social situations.” The brand’s name speaks not only to the look of the person, but the heart of a person.

In the name of the Brand, it also represented the challenges I faced building this company. I had to first believe the name of the brand meaning within myself, so it was a journey I thought I already traveled. I had to challenge myself about what I believed about what a woman should look like and be, I had to challenge the traditions of how business is done and how I wanted to create a more personal experience with women. Most importantly, old habits had to die hard- I had to redefine how I viewed money, learning and all many other things.

If you are reading this, I want you to know that whatever you are believing for will be a challenge, and will force you to grow. When you are truly creating a business to serve people and meet their needs, you must think outside yourself and learn what is in you that must be redefined or polished. You got this!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I am a big city girl! I have lived in New York, Atlanta, and now Washington D.C so I love the lights, camera and good food! If we are in New York, some of the best eateries are hole in the wall spots in the local neighborhoods such as Bedford-Stuyvesant for soul food, (Bed-Stuy Fish Fry), Williamsburg, and Bushwick, Fazio’s Pizza. If it is nice summer day, let’s hit Domino park in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, or if you want to hear some old school hip hop, let’s travel to the Bronx and go to Crotona Park. When the sun goes down, Times Square or Harlem is where you want to be if you want a New York experience.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I will like to give a shoutout to my C.E.O, Jesus Christ himself for giving me the vision, the means and the ability to cultivate such a Beautiful Lifestyle Brand and Clothing line! Secondly, I would like to shoutout all of my high school students who supported me following my passions, who gave real time feedback on my pictures and clothes, and look to me as a role model. I love you!

Website: www.beautifullyurbane.com

Instagram: beautifullyurbaneboutique

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/imani-person-607a882a/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BeautifullyUrbane/

Image Credits
Imani P Urbane, Owner Chanel Laguna, Model