This story is part of a partnership between the Montgomery Advertiser and the Living Democracy program at Auburn University. Now in its 13th year, the program disperses students across rural Alabama to spend 10 weeks learning more about the inner workings of the community and writing about what they observe.
CAMDEN − Saturday shopping trips with her grandmother, Fredia Collins, inspired Molly Allen to fall in love with fashion at a young age.
“I remember a few outfits she let me purchase,” Allen said. “They weren’t the cutest, but I loved them, and she always let me express my sense of fashion. So, she bought them with a smile on her face. We loved to look back once I got older and laughed about all of my wild outfit choices.”
Today, 23-year-old Allen is the owner of Collections by Molly, a women’s clothing boutique at 109 Broad St. in Camden.
“I love to make people feel comfortable and provide the fashions they want just like my grandmother did for me,” Allen said.
As a little girl, Allen said her love for fashion sparked her dream to become a boutique owner. Her journey started in high school with her first job at the Camden Jewelry and Gifts shop. After she graduated, she honed her skills managing at The Pecan on Broad and The Fox and Hen boutique.
More: Summer jobs program at rural library helps students discover career path
She said these experiences taught her valuable lessons about customer service and business management. On March 1, 2023, she opened the doors of Collections by Molly doors for the first time, beginning a new chapter in her entrepreneurial journey.
Allen said she has no regrets about staying in her hometown and bypassing the college experience. “College is not made for everybody, and just because you don’t go does not mean you can’t be successful,” Allen said.
Mary Elizabeth Switzer, a loyal patron of Collections by Molly, describes it as a fashion haven catering to all ages and sizes. The boutique is always up to date with the latest styles and trends at affordable prices, Switzer added.
After over a year of successful operations, Allen is not resting on her laurels. Her immediate plans for the future of Collections by Molly include expanding the shop from the upstairs to include the downstairs location, a change expected later this year.
This expansion will allow her to offer a broader range of products and enhance the shopping experience for her customers. She also sells online, expanding her customer base well beyond Camden and her store.
Reflecting on how far she has come, Allen said, “I started my business in my parent’s dining room. There were some days, even weeks, without a sale.”
More: Chatom mural brings local color to Alabama highway
She said support from customers in Camden and all over the state allowed the business to grow.
Her advice to other young entrepreneurs is simple: “Just go for it.” She said persistence in chasing dreams will bring many rewards. “There is no better feeling than making others feel beautiful about themselves,” she said.
In addition to persistence, Allen’s aunt, Kayla Jackson, credits Allen’s ambition and passion for business as “qualities that are reflected both in her boutique and in her love for her hometown.”
Allen is now serving on the board of the Wilcox Area Chamber of Commerce, one way she hopes to give back to her community. She helped plan Sip, Shop and Stroll held June 21, an event to promote local businesses, foster a sense of community, and support local artists.
Allen said she never had a desire to leave Camden, describing it as a close-knit family that has always been there for her. “I love it here, and I love all the people here,” she said.
Naomi Taylor, a Living Democracy student at Auburn University, is living and learning this summer in Camden, Alabama, as a Jean O’Connor Snyder Intern with the David Mathews Center for Civic Life. The nonprofit program, coordinated by the Caroline Marshall Draughon Center for the Arts and Humanities in the College of Liberal Arts, prepares undergraduate college students for civic life through living-learning experiences in the summer.