Page 72 of The Fiancé Hoax
“How precious! I love them all!”
“Thank you.”
“Felicity, your store is just precious. But children’s clothing is where you really shine.” She removed a hand-held recorder from her bag. “As you know, I’m a writer at LA Now Magazine. I’d love to interview you about your children’s section. What do you say?”
I swallowed. Oh, God. This was really happening.
It was exactly what I wanted, but I was also nervous. I put on a confident front and nodded.
“Of course, Dana. That would be wonderful.”
Dana smiled and started recording with her device.
“So, Felicity, how did you get your start in fashion design?”
I took a deep breath.
“My mom taught me. She had a hobby of designing clothes since I was a little girl. She never went to school for it. But she loved to work on her sewing machine, and she always made dresses and outfits for me growing up. When I got a little older, she taught me to sew, and soon I was designing for both of us… and all my friends.”
Dana smiled and nodded, encouraging me to continue.
“I went to UCLA for fashion design. And it was always my dream to have a store where I sold my own creations. Three years ago, I opened Moonstone Boutique. I named it in honor of my mother, who loved moonstones and those flower-print dresses the hippie girls wore. She always said if she had been born earlier, she would have run off to San Francisco with flowers in her hair.”
Dana laughed. “And how did you get interested in children's clothing?”
I tucked my hair behind my ear.
“That’s a recent development. I was inspired by the two young daughters of… someone I've been spending time with lately.”
Dana grinned. “How cute! There’s nothing like falling in love to set us on a new path.”
I nodded, remembering that I was supposed to be Cooper’s loving fiancée.
“How would you describe your children's line?”
“Well, I tried to capture the magic and wonder of childhood for Moonstone Girls. I'm focusing on girls’ fashion for now, though I plan to expand to boys’ clothing in the future. I wanted to give girls some fun, colorful pieces. And hopefully take away some of the frustration in getting dressed in the morning.”
Dana looked at the racks. “I see you have quite a variety of girls' fashions. Not just pink dresses.”
“Right. I do have some frilly pink dresses to choose from. I also wanted to have some active fashions for girls. Who says being a girl is restricted to looking pretty in a pink dress? Lots of girls like to climb trees or build forts, and I wanted to give them options as well. Just like adults, children are three-dimensional. They have individual personalities, and lots of interests. I want to offer them clothing that suits all of their needs.”
That came out better than I’d hoped. I was on a roll.
“Perfect. And what does the future look like for Moonstone Girls?”
“In addition to the off-the-rack fashions I sell in the store, I'll also offer custom-made fashions for girls twelve and under. They will be one-of-a-kind pieces created just for the special girl in your life.”
I blinked, surprised at my own words.
“How fabulous!” Dana exclaimed. “I'm sure there are lots of parents in the city who would love to get their hands on one of your bespoke creations.”
I smiled, pushing my panic down. Did I really just say I was offering custom-made fashion for children?
Cooper had suggested the idea to me the other day, but I’d never decided to offer bespoke fashion for kids. Until now, apparently.
It had been a major commitment just to design the girls’ clothes I was selling on the rack. Now I’d have an entirely new addition to my business.
Dana grinned and turned off her recorder. “That's perfect, Felicity. This will give me enough to write a short piece for the magazine. Now I must buy that cute little jumper for my Amelia. It looks like just her size.”