Curvy Chix Chariot
Donna Hundley,Owner
RYG : Would you tell us about the Curvy Chix Chariot?
Curvy Chix Chariot is more than just a mobile boutique, it’s a movement! I know that this is also a calling for me. I haven’t always been a plus size woman, however after a medical condition I gained weight and found myself having to adapt to this new body. I hear the same type of stories from a lot of other women. Some have taken it with stride, while others sunk into a deep depression and felt less attractive. I decided that my boutique was not something that was just going to be a store to provide products, but I want my store to be an experience. I want my customers to realize that no matter you size, you deserve to look and feel beautiful. I want EVERY customer to walk out feeling confident about themselves AND their curves!
RYG: Who inspired you to start the Chariot?
I knew that I couldn’t have been the only plus size woman who was frustrated with the lack of selection of trendy, stylish and reasonably priced clothing for our body types. Instead of just being frustrated, I decided to take action. I began exploring how to open a boutique that catered to curvy women with a twist. I needed to identify something that would make my boutique stand out from the others. After I heard about a truck selling men’s shoes out of it, I decided to look into the possibility of going mobile with my boutique idea. That’s when I discovered the West Coast already had many fashion trucks in business. At that moment, I knew this was the direction I wanted to go. The name Curvy Chix Chariot was thought of by my one of my best friends. Once she said the name, I knew it was the perfect fit for my vision!
RYG: What are some other specialties of the Curvy Chix Chariot?
Since we are a mobile boutique, people understand that we can bring the boutique to our customers; however they aren’t always sure how it works. One option is to host a private party for you and 10 of your friends. Similarly to other “home parties”, we offer hostess packages with discounts and fun times! Additionally, we offer “Private Shopping” consultation sessions to our customers. For a minimum spend, Curvy Chix Chariot will pull up to your door and our customer will have 1.5 hours to shop on the fashion truck alone! This is something that my elderly and disabled clients enjoy. Of course the most popular option is to invite us to participate in your event. Shopping events, church meetings, sorority parties and more, we love to bring the boutique to our customers!
RYG: Were there any obstacles? How did you overcome
Opening a business as an African American woman triggered a lot of questions that I had to think about. The biggest was, 
“Should I show that I am an African American woman?” Although we are in 2014, it still seems to be a reality that African American businesses struggle with stereotypes. I’ve heard and seen individuals sway away from supporting a business because it is African American owned. It seems that as a people, African Americans tend to feel more confident about the level of service they will be provided from a non-African American business. Therefore, initially, I was hiding who I was. I never put a picture of myself on any marketing materials or my website. Auspiciously, what I found was, my fear was not true. Since opening my doors, I’ve been greeted with open arms by mostly African American clients. When they see this innovative concept and then my extremely outgoing personality, my clients are excited to support me. I think as an African American woman, once I got over the fear of being me, I realized that is not where the focus should but what I can offer as a business owner. I have since proudly acknowledged that I am an African American woman business owner and I am looking forward to the many successes that come with it.
RYG: Where can our Grinders find the chariot riding?
We actively post where we will be on our social media sites and website. Clients can also text/call us to see where we are.
FB – @CurvyChixChariot
IG – @CurvyChixChariot
Twitter – @CurvyChixStyle
Phone: 301.310.7381
RYG: Words of inspiration.
We truly want our customers to live by our slogan “Love Your Curves, Sexy Comes In Every Size!” because we know this is true! As women we have enough on our plate at any given day, so why not look good while you’re cleaning that plate off! 🙂