Since her early days in Tempe, AZ, Andrea Van De Vort has had a passion for fashion—as illustrated in her fifth grade journal blueprinting her outfits months in advance—from the purse down to the shoes. Reminiscing on her childhood alongside 22 cousins, her fondest memories include going shopping with her female family members. What started out as a hobby eventually transformed into a dream career.
We all know San Diego is top-tier in countless categories: cuisine, location, beaches, you name it, yet one area that we tend to lack in is fashion. Van De Vort saw the perfect opportunity to change this. After a massive pivot from a bio-chem major to business, the fashion entrepreneur made her way from Arizona to Los Angeles, and finally to San Diego to open her first fashion boutique store, Van De Vort, in 2013.
Van De Vort’s most recent expansion, and third brick-and-mortar shop at The Forum Carlsbad, is set to inspire even more fashion lovers through accessible and statement-making clothes and accessories, inspired by cutting-edge trends from Australian brands.
Following the Carlsbad grand opening on November 15, we chatted with Van De Vort to learn more about the growth of her business, balancing CEO and family life, and her personal style and advice.
San Diego Magazine (SDM): Can you share more about the essence of Van De Vort stores and what kind of experience you want customers to have when they walk in?
Andrea Van De Vort (AVDV): We specialize in a very personalized, neighborhood company. We bring people of all walks and all phases of life into one location and bond over our love of fashion. The best times are when random people are in the store, like a 60-year-old and a 20-year-old, and everyone ends up having just a fun bonding experience. It makes a big neighborhood feel small.
Bringing all these brands to San Diego that you can only get from us and helping women push their limits, that’s always my favorite to do. Most people are a bit apprehensive to stand out in a crowd and always tend to go toward jeans and a t-shirt, but it’s our favorite thing when they walk out [of the store] with styles outside of their comfort zone.
SDM: The grand opening looked like a major success. What was the most rewarding part of that day?
AVDV: Just being done with the construction. There’s so much that goes into building a store and there’s so many moving parts, so I do all of that. Just having it all done was a huge weight off my shoulders and it was a relief to get it open and move on with my life. And then just having my friends, my family, and people at the shop with us since day one when they’re there to celebrate.
SDM: How would you describe your personal style and are there any specific designers, eras, or trends that have influenced your aesthetic over the years?
AVDV: I would say it’s kind of all over the place. Some days I am mom-ing and I’m just wearing baggy jeans and sneakers, but I also love dressing up and having a reason to dress up. But you’ll never catch me without accessories—my layered necklace, six earrings on, my fingers full of rings. Even if I am in my sweats, I still have my jewelry on.
Australian labels have definitely had an influence on my personal style. They are always one season ahead in fashion, so I think I have always been inspired by Australian style. It’s a bit more funky and not your everyday kind of vibe. Also my employees, they are 15 years younger and very “in the know” so I get inspired by them when they come into work and they’re dressed in something from the store.
SDM: How do you balance having three kids and a family with this very successful business? What do you do to make it all work?
AVDV: It’s very hard. I have many panic attacks everyday. No, I’m just kidding. I have a lot of help. We have a really amazing nanny for the babies. And my employees, I have such a good team who are all young and excited and willing to pick up any kind of tasks that I might have to pass off to them. So it’s really just teamwork and taking each day at a time. I also want to give my husband a shout-out. He does help a lot.
SDM: What advice would you give to aspiring entrepreneurs looking to break into the fashion industry?
AVDV: Getting experience in all parts of the industry helps. My first job was working for a denim company. It was a really big corporate company, so I got to see all the different roles that go into making a brand work. Just getting experience and weighing out your options and seeing exactly what you like. And then of course reaching out to mentors or anyone in the community. I feel like most people, most entrepreneurs at least, are willing to offer up advice for people trying to get into it.
SDM: What are your goals for Van De Vort as you enter the next year of your business?
AVDV: I definitely want to open a couple more locations. We will most likely stay in San Diego, just because it’s easy to reach and traveling isn’t really an option for me right now. And then we are also launching our new in-house label next Spring. One of the private label designers from Revolve is helping us get that line developed, so that will be fun.
