My dear Eurotrash aficionados;
It is with mixed emotions that I announce my retirement and the closing of my beloved shop, Eurotrash. With our recent geographical change, it has become apparent that life has a different path in store for me for now, and I have come to the difficult decision to close doors by early July in order to focus my attention on our family and life in Houston, Texas. I plan to fly home for a Retirement Soiree on May 17th and hope you can plan to join me then to celebrate Eurotrash and the years we’ve had together, as well as to enjoy our final Spring fashions - the last of my hand-picked curated collections, and, of course, a bit of bubbly. I will, most of all, miss playing dress up with all of my wonderful customers and employees. It has been such a joy and honor to know you through this little piece of the world you helped me to create. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to dress you and be a part of your lives, as you have been of mine.
With lots of love –
Anne xoxo
Anne Hughes
ahughes@shopeurotrash.com
EUROTRASH OWNER ANNOUNCES STORE CLOSING
Anne Hughes of Eurotrash in Carytown announces the boutique’s closing.
RICHMOND, Va. - April 25, 2017 - For almost 10 years, Eurotrash, located at 3009 West Cary Street in Carytown, has been more than just a business for owner Anne Hughes.
“I founded Eurotrash out of my love of European fashion and the desire to bring what Europeans wear to Richmond. But Eurotrash has given me so much more than that – it has given me a place in the community from which to support a myriad of philanthropic causes; the opportunity to own and run a business while raising my three children, all of whom spent their first year in the shop; and a venue in which to meet people who shared my love of travel and European fashion and culture,” said Hughes.
Having moved with her family from Richmond to Houston, Texas, over seven months ago; and with her children now 4, 6, and 8, Hughes is ready for a new challenge in life. She has decided to close her boutique, Eurotrash, located in historic Carytown.
“When I opened Eurotrash, it was my first baby. In my ten years of being in business, I have had three children and feel so fortunate that I was able to juggle both worlds. With our new geographic situation and my physical distance from the Richmond market, I have made the decision to focus my efforts on my family and close Eurotrash,” added Hughes.
Hughes will be returning to Richmond in mid-May to host a Soiree and promote the final Spring Collection at Eurotrash. The store will begin publicizing its event to their loyal customer base through social media and direct emails. “We want to make sure that our customers who have supported us over the decade have an opportunity to take advantage of our last curated collection, and we want to celebrate together all the joy that Eurotrash has brought into our lives,” she explained.
“I have been blessed to meet some lifelong friends through my business endeavor, and I will miss that interaction most of all.”
A Store Closing Sale will begin in the weeks ahead and will be promoted through social media. All store merchandise will be discounted up to 75 percent off, with all store fixtures and displays also for sale.
The anticipated final days of the store will be in the first week of July.
Eurotrash’s beginnings
Anne Hughes started in the retail business when she was a high-school student growing up in Williamsburg, Virginia. She returned to retail after graduating from James Madison University, and ultimately opened Eurotrash in 2007.
“Growing up in a family of entrepreneurs, I always wanted to go into business for myself. Having lived overseas with a love for the fashions there, and a background in retail, Eurotrash came into being.” said Hughes.
“I wanted to create a boutique that catered to people who loved fashion-forward European fashion, where things were accessibly priced but special and unique. My vision was to create a highly personalized shopping experience complete with stylings, closet cleanouts and private events. We wanted our customers to feel like Eurotrash was somewhere they could count on to find that special piece for any occasion, one that that they were sure to get complimented on. Ultimately, I wanted to help women feel beautiful at every age and size, and help them express themselves through their fashion.”
Eurotrash always stayed true to exclusively carrying lines that were European in their design, influence and manufacture. Hughes believed in only carrying a few of each item she hand-selected to ensure exclusivity and a lack of oversaturation. She introduced numerous lines to Richmond, such as Maison Scotch, Marimekko, Desigual, and Ted Baker; often carrying lines before they were picked up by major department stores and chains such as Anthropologie, like Amour Vert which Hughes found prior to a collaboration the brand did with Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop.
Eurotrash quickly became a notable part of the RVA fashion scene, participating in numerous fashion shows and events such as Wine, Women & Shoes, and RVA Fashion Week, which they will participate in this year as their final fashion show.
The Fabric of Eurotrash
Eurotrash has been very fortunate to have VCU and its Fashion Merchandising Department supply them with a wonderful group of employees over the years. Having employees studying the field made the work environment a classroom of sorts for Hughes, a formally trained teacher. “I loved the opportunity to exploit my employees’ interests and talents, and give them real-world exposure to the field in which they were studying.” Recognizing her lack of formal education in the industry, Hughes did not solely take on those majoring in fashion. “I realize that experience from other fields can provide a valuable perspective on the everyday of a business. Having employees from a variety of backgrounds took the mundane out of the day and made the work environment very collaborative. We all learned from each other and that’s what kept things moving forward at the shop.”
Anne has always prided herself on having a wonderful staff, committed to their customers. “We were always complimented on our customer service and the desire to go above and beyond to help. We constantly looked for innovative ways to serve our customer base and grow it, through such things as extending our business to include services such as closet edits and our local styling service, Local Fix. We launched our Wishlist in 2007 when we opened, providing people an opportunity to try on and have us send to others what they wanted. Husbands, in particular, loved this as we would be able to complete transactions over the phone or via email, gift wrap and run everything for pick up curbside. They knew it was what she wanted and in her size. A total win-win. And we did it before Amazon or any of the majors offered such a service.” In fact, when Hughes started Eurotrash, it was MySpace and not Facebook. Instagram had not been launched yet. “The internet has become something that brick-and-mortar retailers can no longer ignore. With many of my brands serving customers directly online and the convenience factor of having things shipped to your door to try on in the comfort of your own home and return without entering a boutique, stores have to adapt to survive. I think there will always be a place for brick-and-mortar as people need to touch and see things in order to fully appreciate them – and shopping is a fun social experience, but I think the landscape is definitely changing and that there will be fewer brick-and-mortar shops in the coming years.”
Eurotrash may be closing its doors but Hughes still owns the federal trademark and online rights. As of now, her webstore at ShopEurotrash.com will remain a part of Shoptiques. She also owns the URL, TheRelevantWoman.com, and has been toying with the idea of a lifestyle blog geared at 30-50-something moms, focused on relevant ideas and products for their everyday.