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We Sell Happiness

After working in a “secure but soul-crushing” cubicle job, and longingly drawing sketches and taking notes of different designers while watching E! at night, Diana Harbour saw that she had two options: practicality or freedom. Being more afraid of the consequences of staying in a job in which she was unhappy, than the uncertainty of embarking on a new journey, she began considering the possibility of starting her own business, and began an Ebay-based store out of her bedroom.

Later that year, Diana’s now-husband Josh, took her to a football game in Athens, Ga. After watching the Dawgs play and enjoying all the historic downtown area had to offer, Diana knew she had found a place for her brick-and-mortar location. She turned in her resignation and the couple relocated to Athens.

She sold her house, got a loan and moved, sleeping on an air mattress for a year while she launched the boutique. After considering hundreds of names, Diana’s mom reminded her of the red dress she always wore as a child. Her mom dug out an old, tattered picture of her beaming in the little frock. Remembering the positivity and confidence that little red dress gave her, Diana decided to name the store The Red Dress Boutique.

Centering the clothes around the idea that color is a powerful way to radiate optimism and positivity, Diana began individually curating the clothes, and searching all over the country for head-to-toe wardrobe selections for her customers. Using her background in English, she gave each piece a unique name that stood out to her audience.

Launching the online site in 2010, the store began to grow its customer base outside the physical walls, and even outside the Peach State lines. Now sending hundreds of orders per day to women across the country, Diana splits her time between supervising photoshoots, designing her own in-house line, and being a mother to her son, Robert.