#13ShadesofBlack: Meet Jordan of Elsa Fine

Jordan Dollard, Elsa Fine

Before I introduce myself, can we talk about this series?! How fun is it to get short introductions to awesome people throughout Charlotte? If you’ve been reading, I highly suggest getting to know these awesome people, because honestly, you know you want to.

But hey man! I’m Jordan Dollard, owner of Elsa Fine and co-owner of Trophies Are For Winners. If you haven’t heard of either of these businesses, let’s get to talking soon. Elsa Fine is a three pronged company with a home base in Optimist Park (near NoDa). We’re a shop focusing on women’s clothing, accessories, and jewelry, a multitude of retail services (personal shopping and wardrobe styling), and a small string of events throughout Charlotte including pop-up shops, meet-ups, parties, and workshops. Essentially, we like to have fun and these are the ways we do it.

I’m lucky to be opening a studio and shop later this month in Optimist Park, which I never thought I’d do, but I wouldn’t turn back for a minute. I studied design and merchandising in college and did multiple internships in New York and Charlotte. I’ve known since I was young that I would do something in fashion, but I just didn’t know what. I got thrown into Elsa Fine after being laid off (a story for another time) and now I work the craziest, most exhausting and completely exhilarating job I could ever ask for.

For a business that thrives on creating and maintaining relationships, I’m truly a homebody and really don’t like to go out all that much. I much prefer staying at home and cooking dinner for my little family, but when I do get out of the house it’s to some of my favorite spots like Landmark Diner, Industry Co-working (where a lot of business friends work), Julia’s Café (all proceeds go to Habitat for Humanity), or The Gallery South End. Everywhere I go, I like to be treated like a regular, so I frequent the same places and make friends everywhere I can. I attend a lot of events around Charlotte and love attending fashion shows and the like.

A small, but important part of my time goes to Trophies Are For Winners. Trophies is a t-shirt brand that celebrates women’s empowerment through witty and gritty conversation-starting tees. I jumped into this project with Corri and three other women and I truly think this group opened my eyes to problems I never quite understood, all while looking good whilst learning about social issues.

My style is anything I want it to be that day and as I sit here (writing this post from the comfort of my bed), I’m looking into my closet and seeing that I anchor most of my wardrobe in neutrals. If I’m feeling a little bohemian that day, you’ll see me in flares and paisley prints, and some days it’s as simple as an oversized white button down and ripped up jeans (literally ALL of my jeans are ripped). I could care less how I look as long as I’m comfortable and confident.

If you want to check out Elsa Fine or Trophies Are For Winners or get a preview of the shop, let me know! We’re not open to the public yet, but we can get a little behind the scenes tour in and shop together!

I can tell you’re digging Elsa Fine, so let’s connect!