By J1 Reporter Ava Weis

All Marian girls know the excitement of walking into the BLUEtique and seeing all of the new sweatshirts, sweatpants and gifts for family members. The BLUEtique, Marian’s own spirit store located in the Quad, seems to always have the best designs, logos and patterns. 

Have you ever thought about the process behind making all of this Marian merch? Mrs. Christina Butler, the hired manager and brains behind the BLUEtique, spends much of her time in school and out stalking sororities’ social media accounts and looking for design inspiration in all places she goes. She has about five main vendors in which she picks designs from and orders pieces from.   

 This process, although fun, has its own unique obstacles such as staying within a budget. Butler aims to offer many price points ranging from $30 sweatshirts to about $65 sweatshirts. They also offer smaller items such as stickers that cost as little as $1. All of these items are also available for online order. Another obstacle can be making sure to be stocked up for holiday seasons and other major Marian events. Some of these include Open House, the 8th Grade Placement Exam, and Cookies with Santa. These events require more inventory than a normal school day.

Butler also always wants there to be something new and exciting at the BLUEtique. During the summer, she plans out many designs to put out at different times throughout the year. This allows girls to be excited about new designs all year long. 

The BLUEtique could not be run without the help of Marian parents who volunteer to help run it. Mrs. Jan Martin, a Marian mom and alumna class of  92’, volunteers her time to help out at the BLUEtique during Freshman Orientation, Grandparents Day and other special events. She loves meeting new people and getting to volunteer at Marian in such a fun way.

Martin loves how the BLUEtique has evolved since she went to Marian and how everyone can show Marian pride in their own ways with the wide variety of items sold. Marian’s store used to be a mostly student run bookstore.  Now the BLUEtique has items including water bottles, sweatshirts, and even bandanas for your dog. Martin has known Butler for about 24 years, and she really enjoys being able to help her out as well as helping the Marian community.

Butler ultimately loves meeting and talking with the girls when they stop in to shop. She says that her favorite part of her job is chatting with the girls and hearing their feedback regarding items in the Bluetique. She is always open to new ideas and suggestions when it comes to styles for new Bluetique merchandise or what they would like to see in the Bluetique in general. The Bluetique offers so many amazing products to the Marian community, and it could not be done without Butler and Marian Moms willing to give up their time to serve Marian.

https://marian-bluetique.square.site/