The Fair Lady

With family history in both retail and fashion, it is safe to say that the industry Amber Brewer, owner of The Fair Lady, has chosen is no surprise.  Locally born and raised, Brewer graduated from Mena High School in 2009 and went on to obtain a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in Accounting from The University of Central Arkansas in Conway.

After graduation, Brewer decided now would be a great time to mix her knowledge of business with her love of fashion and open a boutique, The Fair Lady.  While The Fair Lady began as an online only boutique, with the web address: www.shopthefairlady.com, Brewer quickly saw the need for an actual storefront.  With the support of her parents, Marvin and Lisa Brewer, owners of Ameri Chem Janitorial Supply located at 2913 Highway 71 North between Mena and Acorn, Brewer opened a store inside of their building.  “We sell everything from teenage clothing up through ladies clothing.  We also sell accessories, shoes, and handbags,” Brewer explained.

On October 1, THE FAIR LADY moved to the former location of THE ELLE in Mena’s downtown (North Mena Street) and is very much looking forward to welcoming their customers in their larger space.

With a background in beauty pageants, Brewer has a strong sense of fashion and design and a great eye for clothing.  The Fair Lady has already begun to outgrow its current location and hopes to expand to a larger storefront in the next year.  “In high school I was a typical sports girl, I always wore a ponytail and t-shirts and jeans, but after going to college I joined a sorority and got back into the pageants.  It was then that I really got in to fashion.  I loved dressing for functions and I’ve designed several of my own pageant gowns.  I enjoy design and hope to have my own line one day,” Brewer said.

Brewer chose the name, The Fair Lady, because she had a great appreciation for the Victorian Era.  She also felt that it would allow her to carry a wide variety of clothing for young ladies all the way through women’s styles.

Also located in the Ameri Chem building is her sister Holli’s business, Bold Body Bronzing Arkansas, an air brush spray tanner that was started after Brewer was diagnosed with Melanoma, a cancer she likely developed from too much tanning bed use.

“I loved pageants and dressing up when I was younger and then sports kind of took over in high school.  I feel like I have come full circle.  My grandmother, Josephine “Jo” Stricklin, had a retail store on the corner of Highway 71 and Mena Street many years ago.  She sold furniture and men’s clothing.  Later my family had a screen printing business and made t-shirts and my parents own Ameri Chem, a janitorial supply.  The retail industry is definitely in my family history,” explained Brewer.

“I love Polk County and I love how safe it is here.  I also like that I know a lot of people and I enjoy being able to visit with them when they come into The Fair Lady.  I also love meeting new people.  I’m shocked at how many great people I don’t know around here.  I really love the networking aspect of a small town business and I’m thankful for all the support I’ve received,” Brewer said.

About Author

Jeri Pearson

Jeri is the News Director for Pulse Multi-Media and Editor of The Polk County Pulse. She has 10 years of experience in community focused journalism and has won multiple press association awards.

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