Melodrama Boutique Owner Jackie Adams Turns Private Passion to Professional Prosperity
When you traipse through Melodrama Boutique’s door, you’ll see and get the feel of a fashion outlet bristling with East Coast flavor and a dash of Midwestern sensibilities marinating in innovation. Melodrama pops with the rich fabrics and vibrant colors in a parade of transitional professional looks and Afro-ethnic and Asian-inspired lines. What you don’t see is that the 6-year-old Melodrama Boutique came out of Jackie Adams’ life-long dream before it finally spilled out of her heart and materialized into brick and mortar.
Melodrama Boutique began to marinate in Adams’ mind when as a toddler, she became engrossed in her grandmother’s affinity for vintage clothes. “Personally, as a child, I was always into fashion. I looked at my grandmother, who was always wearing hats, coats, [and] great vintage bags,” says the Houston-based fashionista.
Since Grambling State University didn’t offer a fashion discipline, Adams applied her physics degree toward her work in both corporate America and as a proprietor. “I’m just an analytical thinker as far as my thought process on the things that I do … [I like] just being able to work on several different projects and meet the demands of my clients,” Adams says. “I [am] just kind of forecasting in terms of where I’m going with this economy. There are times I have to cut back and do different lines that are more cost-effective. It kind of makes me jump on everything a little faster.”
When the store chain that Adams worked for as a merchandise buyer dissolved, she helped the owner open another store. But the pangs of entrepreneurship became more acute and resonated in her soul. In December of 2002, Adams opened a store that reflected her sensibilities.
“I use anything from [a] transitional look, which you could wear as an attorney … all the way to [a] cocktail dress. [I like] lots of rich fabrics,” Adams says. “I try to look for … smaller, independent … new fresh lines versus lines that are in department stores.” Adams adds that independent lines pop with freshness and crack with innovativion. –terry shropshire
Melodrama Boutique, located at 5603 Alameda in New Orleans’ Third Ward is open Tuesday through Saturday, 11 a.m.–7 p.m.
