Ever since I was a little girl I can remember being excited and inspired by fashion. The shoes, the dress that hugs in all the right places, the perfectly selected jewelry piece… it can all make such a statement and the woman wearing those statements are empowered and exudes such confidence!
I was born in Kiev, Ukraine and my parents moved us to the United States when I was eight years old. I didn’t know English, but all of a sudden I was living in New York City, surrounded by the latest fashion trends and I could not help but develop a passion for it all!
Immigrating here shortly before entering into middle school came with its challenges. Fashion in Kiev and fashion in New York City didn’t exactly align, learning a new language and speaking it with a notable accent made school difficult at times but I was determined and had some very inspiring teachers along the way. This journey lead me to my second passion, teaching.
I graduated from NYU and began my career in education. I understood the struggles of overcoming obstacles and I knew I could help others overcome their obstacles too. I spent the next 12 years working with students with disabilities. My love for fashion didn’t go away, but I was dedicated to my students and focused on helping them reach their goals.
During that same time, my personal life was also growing in new and exciting ways. I married my high school love, Tony, and soon after we began our family with our first born son, Jayden. Shortly after, along came our second son Logan. My parents moved to Florida and we decided to make the move as well.
Moving from New York City to Tampa, Florida was a culture shock and we initially thought we maybe made a mistake but once we adjusted we made some wonderful life long friends that have since become family.
April 30, 2016, we were getting ready to attend one of our close friend’s 30th birthday party and I was out shopping for the perfect accessories to complete my outfit. I found no such accessory. That fashion Spark inside of me was reignited. I decided that night, if I couldn’t find the perfect statement piece, I’d just have to make my own!
So, with zero jewelry making experience, I began making my own jewelry. We started at our kitchen table! Tony was working nights then, the boys and I were at school all day, so when we got home we’d all sit around the kitchen table and make my visions a reality. Tony or I would lay out beads for the boys and they’d string them out. I began taking pieces to school with me and the support I received from my coworkers was overwhelming. My boss in particular, was a huge supporter and encouraged me to continue pursuing fashion and jewelry. KC was born!
Tony knew we had discovered something really special, long before I did. I continued working full time as a teacher and he continued encouraging me to take the next step. I had always worked a stable full time job, guaranteed salary, guaranteed retirement, guaranteed insurance, the idea of stepping away from that on a chance was terrifying. We did a few shows and met some amazing people. We even sent some pieces to the Pioneer Woman and she wore them on her show!
Tony’s encouragement and belief that KC could be our full time passion finally gave me the courage to take the next step. In 2019 I took a leave from teaching and fully dedicated myself to KC and we haven’t looked back yet!
We had our operation running out of our house and Tony and I oversaw every detail. We received such positive feedback from so many of our incredible customers. It was truly empowering to know that our designs were having such an impact and boosting the confidence of so many women. Tony, being the visionary he is, saw the potential to make genuine connections with people and truly inspire women through fashion. We continued to build our company by learning to connect with our supporters through Facebook, Instagram, Tiktok and Social Media Influencers.
It was time to move KC out of the house! We found the perfect office space and brought on new team members. We knew from the beginning that we’d want to share our success with those closest to us and we were finally able to convince them to join the KC team. We now have a team of 12, with our leadership team being made up of our closest friends, who all happen to be educators as well an we’re just getting started!
Thank you for taking the time to read our story and giving us the opportunity to be a part of yours.
Let KC Accessorize Your Story!