Macy’s Workshop alum Kim Roxie returns to Lakeside store

13th May 2013   ·   0 Comments

By Kelly Parker
Contributing Writer

Entrepreneur Kim Roxie has always been an innovator. The 29 year-old founder of LAMIK beauty has the distinct honor of being part of the inaugural class of The Workshop at Macy’s. The retail vendor development program was designed to give select high potential minority and/or women business owners the tools to better success and sustain growth in the retail industry. As a graduate of the workshop, Roxie, launched her line of products that reveals (and not applies) the beauty of women of color.

She is the youngest African-Am­erican female to launch a cosmetics line at the retailer; Roxie reveres LAMIK as the first eco-chic brand to use all natural products, while packaged with recycled materials.

In the summer of 2012, one of her first stops was the Macy’s Lakeside location, in which she was welcomed by numerous sisters ready to be made over.

Roxie returned to the Big Easy last Saturday, showcasing her Celebrity Brow Kit; and The Louisiana Weekly followed up with the Houston native one year after becoming a member of the Macy’s family.

LW: It’s been one year since LAMIK launched at Macy’s across the southeast region. What has this experience been like?

KR: It’s been great-a great experience.

LW: Last year’s turnout here at Lakeside to launch the line drew huge crowds. You have quickly established a following here.

KR: New Orleans has always been so supportive; we love this region and we love being here. We’re definitely looking into in the other (Macy’s) location here in the city.

LW: While introducing the product to the Big Easy last year, you had a chance to work with another noted female entrepreneur, Lisa Price of Carol’s Daughter-

KR: She is a client. Our team did Lisa’s makeup for local event during the Essence Festival. She looked beautiful!

LW: You stress the importance of LAMIK being more than a brand but a lifestyle, what does that mean?

KR: What I want is a new culture of makeup to take place. No woman of color should say ‘I’m not a makeup person.’ You can wear foundation to protect your skin; we bring more of a purpose to makeup-more than the ‘look.’ And we hope customers can take the green concept beyond their makeup. Whatever you do, you should be presentable. It doesn’t’ matter if you’re a career woman, or stay-at-home mom—you want to be a good example to your daughters; first impressions are very important. Why let the best days of our lives go by without exemplifying and revealing our beauty?

LW: Have there been any additions to the line of products? What were some of your short term goals as you celebrate a year with Macy’s?

KR: For the first year, I really didn’t want to add (this and add that). I wanted to focus more on women becoming more familiar with the product—educating them more on LAMIK, and how to use it and get the gist of the line.

LW: How many products are now included in the line?

KR: We have close to 100 products available (online). A little less in the stores, but everything is available through the website.

LW: And the number one seller would be…

KR: Definitely, the Celebrity Brow Kit. When we apply makeup, we start with the brows; it’s brows first, then eye shadow, liner, mascara, then onto foundation and blush and lips.

LW: What’s your advice to those contemplating applying for the Workshop at Macy’s?

KR: Do it. Even if you applied to the workshop before and wasn’t chosen, that’s okay. We’re entrepreneurs. We don’t give up.

LW: What are some of the lessons you’ve learned from the Workshop experience?

KR: For one, the matter of pitching your product. You have to know how to connect your product with who you want to buy it. The Workshop at Macy’s showed me how to make that connection. I now know the reality of doing business with a major retailer. You don’t really understand that sometimes, having a small business. You’ve got to know what you’re getting yourself into. I know how I’m moving forward and I know the pace at which we should be going and that’s because of the Workshop at Macy’s. I think of our mantra (beauty is revealed, and not applied) and I feel that Macy’s has reveled a lot of beauty in LAMIK—and that, I am grateful for.

LW: Where does LAMIK take Kim Roxie next?

KR: I’m going to London to teach a class. I’ll be teaching a workshop (The mis-education of makeup) in a couple of weeks.

For more on the Workshop at Macy’s visit www.macysinc.-com/workshop.

LAMIK beauty can be found at Macy’s locations (along with New Orleans) in Houston and Atlanta and in ‘Beautiques’ and Makeup Bars in Brooklyn, NY and Orange, NJ and online at www.lamik-beauty.com.

This article originally published in the May 13, 2013 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.