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At The Lucky Knot, Fashion Is A Family Affair
At The Lucky Knot, Fashion Is A Family Affair
By Jan Mercker
Preppy is back…Or maybe it never really went away. Either way, tourists and locals alike in Loudoun and Fauquier have a bright new spot to get their preppy fashion fix.
The family-owned Lucky Knot boutique has charmed Middleburg tourists and locals alike with resort wear with a classic flair for the last two years. The shop’s owners opened a new location in Warrenton in June.
“It’s still a thing,” said co-owner Stella Koukides of the boutique’s aesthetic. “We started with the preppy brands and they’ve been a hit and doing well for us.”
With its beachy vibe, fun prints and comfortable yet stylish looks, the Lucky Knot evokes summer parties and tropical winter getaways. Koukides launched the Lucky Knot’s flagship location in Old Town Alexandria in 2012 with her mother Andrea Ploutis and sisters Stavroulla Ploutis and Athina Kohilas. The business has since expanded to Annapolis, Leesburg, Middleburg and the new Warrenton location.
Expanding to Loudoun and Fauquier made sense. The sisters had gotten to know Middleburg through its Christmas parade and found the town’s classic vibe was a perfect complement to their nautical style. When a storefront on Washington Street opened, they jumped at the chance.
“We went to take a look at it and just kind of fell in love with the area,” Koukides said. “We felt like merging the charm of horse country with the vibrance of the ocean mixed well together, and the feedback has been really great.”
The growing Lucky Knot chain started with their mother Andrea Ploutis’s dream of opening a boutique in Old Town Alexandria. Andrea ran a gift shop on Richmond Highway in Alexandria for years before moving to Old Town.
As her daughters started going with her to expos and trade shows, the family decided to branch out into clothing and jewelry. The sisters opened their first trendy clothing boutique, Three Sisters, in 2011 and soon spotted a niche for resort wear in Old Town.
“The family got together and started brainstorming and that’s when we started with the Lucky Knot,” Koukides said.
They opened the first Lucky Knot in Alexandria in 2012 with a focus on American designers, including some whose lines are American-made. Top sellers include resort wear favorites featuring fun and colorful prints like Jude Connally and Gretchen Scott.
The four women work well together and often spend weekends driving to different locations, talking with customers and jumping in as needed.
“I love talking to people and hearing people’s stories,” said Koukides, who handles much of the administrative side of the family business.
Mom Andrea remains the principal womenswear buyer, working with popular lines and formal wear. Sister Athina handles much of the purchasing for the company’s menswear lines with favorites like Southern Tide, Vineyard Vines and Peter Millar.
Sister Stavroulla specializes in social media and purchasing for Three Sisters (which now has locations in Alexandria, Annapolis and Warrenton) and the family’s Old Town Alexandria gift shop, The Happy Place.
“We all have our own dynamic but we do work really well together. We flow ideas off each other,” Koukides said. “We enjoy working together–it’s almost like a 24/7 job. Even if you’re having a Sunday lunch together, there’s business talk.”
