If you’ve met Vanessa Vicari you know it. Her store, much like the woman, has a distinct combination that’s bold, practical, straightforward and fashion forward. It’s hard to imagine the store that carries her name being led by anyone but her. But in late July Vanessa left the building, selling to the woman who helped her build her customer base and once managed the store, Lindsey Falgout.
In June, Vicari’s husband was transferred, and the family of five moved to North Carolina.
“There is no one else I would leave my name, my store, and my customers to but Lindsey,” Vicari says. “We were a team and built this store together. I knew if I would have just closed, a lot of ladies would of been devastated.”
The doors to Vanessa V. opened in 2010, and the then mother of one quickly found her niche offering hand-picked pieces to customers who very often lamented shopping altogether. In 2011 Falgout came aboard as the store’s manager with years of retail experience, and the two built a customer based offering women both everyday pieces with panache for work and for play as well as timeless and wearable pieces for special events. Vicari would later have two more children, and her mission to dress moms and women who often found it challenging to dress in a way that was both sexy and practical (because they aren’t a size zero) continued.
Falgout was in school during much of her employment (studying accounting at UL Lafayette) before leaving for a brief stint to complete an internship. She returned recently to the boutique as she sought the next step in her career path.
When Vicari’s husband’s transfer became a reality, the store owner knew there was really only one person she wanted to carry on the name. It took Falgout one night to say “yes.”
“I feel so honored that Vanessa trusts me with her name and her ladies,” Falgout says. “We have always felt that is was a privilege that the ladies of Acadiana trust us to get them ready for each season and each event.”
“I just want to thank all of the ladies of Acadiana who have continued to support this girl’s dream; it has been a complete honor to be a part of their lives, and I will miss them, and our chats and fun dressing sessions more than they will know,” Vicari says. “Now, it’s Lindsey’s turn and I will be rooting and cheering for her every step of the way. I told her that all these years I got to watch her shop for all our customers, and now it’s my turn to have Lindsey shop for me and I can’t wait to be her customer.”