Sometimes venturing out of your comfort zone can really pay off, as proven by one of Kelowna’s youngest fashion entrepreneurs.

Kayla Gabelhouse, owner and operator of Lavender & Grace, is only 20-years-old and began her business selling hand made jewelry on Instagram.

Photo Credit: Rebecca Siewert PhotographyOwner and operator of Lavender & Grace, Kayla Gabelhouse.

A recent move from studying Arts to Business at Okanagan College has helped the young entrepreneur expand her business at just the right time.

"I started Lavender and Grace by accident in a sense, in July of 2015 I began refurbishing old jewelry into trendy pieces and it caught people's attention quickly,” said Gabelhouse.

Photo Credit: Lavender & Grace.

Photo Credit: Atcha Kim.

Since then the Lavender and Grace has expanded to include a retail website and partner retail location.

“Online business is a big boom right now and there's lots of Etsy type stores out there,” explained Gabelhouse.

Photo Credit: Lavender & Grace.

“What makes my product unique is that the price point is very affordable. Most people want to be in trend but if it costs an arm and a leg to do so it’s just not as fun.”

And trendy it is, as the Lavender & Grace’s Instagram page has gathered over 3,000 followers and everything from heart emojis to collaboration requests in the comments section.

“I started my business with Instagram. For six months I was selling items only using my Instagram account. But it was a good way to meet face to face with the people that were buying my goods and supporting my business,” said Gabelhouse.

The communities initial support of Lavender & Grace is something the young entrepreneur won’t soon forget, making sure to eat and shop local as often as possible.

Photo Credit: Danielle Serres.

“The size of the city makes it easy to connect with people face to face and network and Kelowna residents are proud of their small businesses and support them. I also shop and eat local because I know how tricky it is make your business dream a reality.”

Gearing up for her second year of business at OC, Gabelhouse is spending her summer break working hard on Lavender & Grace, both networking with the local business community and learning the fundamentals of business such as accounting and marketing.

“Talking with other small business owners, you have to swallow your pride a bit, at first I was really nervous to ask for help but over time I realized that every tip and trick helps so much and hearing others opinions is very important to success,” explained Gabelhouse.

“I’ve always been a creative person but there's also nitty gritty stuff to business you have to understand.”

On July 28th, Lavender & Grace will be hosting a pop up shop event to celebrate its second birthday.