Reese Richardson
BY MOLLY BRUSH, PHOTOS BY RICHARDSON STUDIO
Bloomington resident Hyun Kwon had been a loyal customer of O’Child Children’s Boutique for more than eight years when she learned the store was scheduled to close at the end of 2016.
“I was really sad and disappointed about it,” says Kwon, who has a 9-year-old daughter and a 6-year-old son. “One night I talked with my husband and I told him, ‘I cannot just let it go. This is my favorite boutique.’”
Kwon, 36, decided to make the transition from customer to owner, drawing on her experience operating an online store that sold women’s apparel in her native South Korea. She and her husband, Seong Park, assumed ownership of O’Child in January 2017. Since then, they have renovated the store’s space at 101 W. Kirkwood in Fountain Square Mall and introduced a new logo and website.
Though it may look a bit different, O’Child continues to offer a wide selection of clothing, shoes, and accessories for babies, toddlers, and kids up to age 12. The store carries more than 40 brands from around the world, including 3Pommes, Catimini, CHARM IT!, Isobella and Chloe, Lemon Loves Lime, Mayoral, Native, Tea Collection, and Wee Ones. It also sells a variety of toys, books, and gifts.
Kwon says that when considering new merchandise for the store, she looks for both style and comfort. She also looks for environmentally friendly products, such as those made from PVC-free plastics. Most of all, she asks herself if what she is considering is something she would choose for her own children. “That’s the first thing I’m thinking,” she says.
Check out our photo gallery of O’Child Children’s Boutique clothing. (Click on the photo below to start the slideshow. Use the on-screen arrows or the arrows on your keyboard to navigate forward and backward.)
