Love, Always - Profile
Tori Katarina grew up in the “middle of nowhere,” a forgotten town of the past with one lone stoplight.
She describes Woodbine, Maryland, as “South in the North.” Her school had a “Bring your tractor to school day.”
In a small town, there is little to do besides talk about everyone else. Katarina experienced this first hand when she showed up to school wearing what she wanted. She clearly remembers a day, one single defining moment, that changed her life forever.
Walking out of school, she heard her classmates teasing her behind her back. Because the jumpsuit she was wearing was new and different, people in her town did not like it.
She always knew that she wanted to be a fashion designer, but knowing that people teased her for it only made her want to prove them wrong.
On May 21, 2020, Katarina launched her clothing store, ShopLoveAlways https://www.shoplovealways.net/. Love is not just included in the name of the store, but it is the driving force behind her business.
The most recent clothing line from the store is the embodiment of everything the company stands for. Katarina, the CEO and founder of the store, created the “Olivia collection” in honor of her friend who passed away two years ago.
“Olivia Paregol was my best friend growing up,” said Katarina.
Katarina and Paregol became friends in sixth grade and were inseparable until they went to college. Paregol had attended the University of Maryland. There, her death made the headline of Snapchat news.
Paregol passed away in November 2018 from the Adenovirus, which caused her organs to fail. Her death was sudden and many of her friends and family, Katarina included, did not get to say goodbye.
Katarina describes Paregol as “the light in everyone’s room, the person that made every day better, she would drop anything for anyone.” The passing of Paregol made Katarina realize how important it is to love everyone while you can.
The “Olivia collection” includes 25 pieces that are named in her honor by her hometown and college friends. Among the collection is the “one in a million” top. The top is a long sleeve hot pink crop top that ties in two different places in the back.
Another top included in the collection is a sparkly gold chain top entitled “vibrant life” top. Thirty percent of all the proceeds from the launch are being donated to a scholarship fund created by Paregol’s parents.
Katarina hand-picks clothes that “make girls feel like a million bucks in” on a budget. She loves to feel and see the product before she buys it. “If I don’t want to wear it, I don’t want to sell it to someone.” Katarina wants to “show women they can love themselves for what they wear.”
Katarina said this ideology inspired the name and the meaning behind it: “love what you wear, love who you are, and love who you are surrounded by. I want my customers to love us and I love my customers.” It was this overall view of loving
people always, loving yourself always and providing love to everyone that inspired Katarina to start her store. She believes in being open and honest with her customers.
She makes a point to show the real side of being a business owner and emphasizes that “it’s not always fun and games.”
Since she is a junior studying apparel merchandising at Auburn University, Katarina has to find a balance between a full-time student and an entrepreneur. To keep herself on track, Katarina drinks four cups of black coffee and works out every day.
She works out as a form of self-care and it empowers throughout the day. Katarina said, “when I don't work out my brain is fried.”
Her jobs for the store varies by day but include unboxing items, tagging them, checking seams, emailing the vendor if an item is damaged, going to the storage unit, steaming items, preparing photo shoots and editing photos.
In addition to these jobs, Katarina runs the social media accounts and codes for the website -- which is her least favorite part. Her favorite part of the job is styling outfits for photoshoots.
Although Katarina does most of the work herself, she has help from her friend Ellie Oldham. Oldham is a fashion intern for Katarina. Oldham started helping Katarina in August with tagging clothes, setting up photoshoots and helping out with social media.
Oldham said she and Katarina “met during recruitment and she became my big in Zeta Tau Alpha... she is one of my closest friends here.”
Since Katarina’s home is 12 hours away, she has a new, closer home that she frequents much more than her old one. Katarina comes home with Oldham to Newnan, Georgia, so much that her “parents call her their second daughter.”
Growing up, Katarina and her mom, Joy Hogan, bonded over shopping. Hogan said, “I am just glad to have a 21-year-old who still wants to hang out with me.”
Katarina and her mom considered starting a store for four years.
As soon as Katarina came home for the pandemic, she used her life savings to accomplish her dream of opening her own clothing store. She created a business model to show her parents with research she compiled over eight months.
Hogan claims her “husband was like go for it, but I was more hesitant.”
Once she got used to the idea, Hogan was fully on board. She still helps Katarina whenever she can. She goes to Market with her, goes shopping for her, helped her create the store name, and helped packaged and shipped items when Katarina was home.
Hogan said, “as a kid, Tori was extremely compassionate.”
In elementary, middle and high school she was put in special needs classes to help her peers. Her passion for helping others has carried over into college through her involvement in Best Buddies and Forever Friends.
Hogan claims Katarina was the “easiest child ever.” She could sit down with a toy and be entertained for hours.
Hogan went on to said that Katarina was always polite and she “puts everyone else before herself.”
Hogan said Katarina chose apparel design over teaching special needs classes but plans on always being involved with special needs in some capacity.
Katarina is still in close contact with her 22-year-old special needs friend from high school. She takes her out to dinner and calls her regularly.
By the age of 25, Katarina plans on owning a storefront. In the future, she wants to hire people with special needs in her store.
Katarina said, “love means open arms, willing, helpful, kind, every great characteristic in one.”
