Columbia College Chicago graduate, Ela Czupta, started out with a fashion blog, but she managed to grow that into a boutique, Generation Bliss. Generation Bliss, at 14184 McCarthy Rd. in Lemont, just celebrated its first birthday.
Generation Bliss originally began as a fashion blog in 2011.
“After just a few of my posts, many people contacted me to help dress them for certain occasions,” Czupta said. “I figured, if people like my style, why not take it one step further? So, I decided to turn my blog into an online shop.”
The online store went live in June 2012. Czupta said her goal is to carry unique, desirable fashion and offer exclusive labels.
Czupta said she is passionate about being organized and efficient with social media. She said clients in the area contacted her on Facebook to see if they could stop by and try on merchandize before purchasing.
When she started out, Czupta was working out of her Lemont home.
“At one point my house was like a revolving door and I knew I needed to take the next step and open a location,” she said.
Generation Bliss is run solely by Czupta, even with day-to-day priorities and looking over the store. Her brother, Andrew, and sister, Liv, are both models for generationbliss.com.
“A typical day for me begins with email,” she said. “Once I open the boutique, I log in and check for any pending orders or online orders that need to be filled, or, awaiting orders from vendors that need to be processed. Once I finish, I proceed to the stock room to any new merchandise that needs to be sorted, steamed, priced and put out.”
The clothing and accessories in Generation Bliss are targeted for men and women ages 20 to 40 with the prices ranging from $30 to $325.
“It is very important to be honest with your customers. You are selling who you are, what you represent, so it’s important that the customer represents your name well,” she said.
Ilona Jablonski, a frequent Generation Bliss client, said that GB is the only place she can walk into and love everything in the store.
“I don’t even go to the mall anymore because I know it’ll be a waste of time,” Jablonski said. “Ela is always more than helpful. It’s definitely my favorite place to shop and the first place I go if I have an event coming up.”
David Szkodon, a Chicagoland DJ and Producer, who also graduated from Columbia, says that he can count on his longtime friend to supply him with a fresh new look, whether it’s for a DJ gig, a work meeting or just a night out in the city.
“Ela always suggests new styles for me to try out so that I’m always trend setting instead of trend following,” Szkodon said.
The boutique offers designer pieces from the United States and Australia, but Czupta plans to one day create her own Generation Bliss clothing line, as well as adding shoes to the mix.
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