Rolling Meadows native taps into new way for women to shop

Kimberly Inskeep was voted Best Dressed by her senior class at Rolling Meadows High School, and today, she runs a $250 million fashion business.

Inskeep, a Rolling Meadows native, is co-founder and president of cabi, a women's clothing line sold exclusively through in-home parties across the U.S. The company has 3,300 saleswomen, called stylists - including 120 in the Chicago area - who lead cabi shopping parties in customers' homes.

We caught up with Inskeep recently to talk about fall fashion, how working mom guilt shaped cabi's unique business model, and how women shop now.

Below is an edited excerpt of the interview:

Q: How did you start this business?

A: I was looking for something different - to try something entrepreneurial. I had been working for a consulting firm on the East Coast when I met Carol Anderson (a clothing designer and cabi's co-founder and namesake - cabi stands for Carol Anderson By Invitation) through a mutual friend. It was over dinner with a group. We clicked and became fast friends. I had kids, and I was looking for a way to stay home more. So we went with our husbands to dinner one night and talked about a business. She said, 'Do you think it'd work if we sold Carol Anderson designs out of the home?' And we all kinda looked at each other, and I said, 'I don't know. We could give it a try?'"

What grabbed me more than starting a fashion company was doing something that gave women an opportunity to be entrepreneurial. (When employed as a consultant), I would leave on Sunday and return on Friday. I remember waving goodbye to my daughter at the airport. I didn't see her get to take her first steps, I didn't get to hear her say her first words. I thought, 'If I could be the author of something that can be more liberating for women in this day and age, I could do something really good.'

Q: The business launched in 2002. Was it an instant success?

A: You don't create great things without a struggle. We learned a lot in those early days. I called 10 friends to experiment with the clothes. We call them The Founders. They're still with us today. I remember boxing up clothes and sending it all to them. I'd say, 'Invite friends over and see what they do!' We tried this around the country and it was so funny the different reactions that people had. We knew we had a product that would meet the needs of women and offer an experience and a career opportunity. It was just a matter of refining how we went about it. We really are a very unstereotypical social selling business.

Q: Why do you think cabi became so successful?

A: Shopping isn't just about buying product. Cabi offers an experience that doesn't happen in today's typical store. Women don't have time to shop at the mall. Cabi's clothes were at a good price point, and had wide appeal across different lifestyles and age groups. Couple a good product with something that makes shopping easy? And a fun shopping experience? That's what women can't find anywhere else.

Q: Any design duds that you look back on and laugh about?

A. Caravan pants. We couldn't give them away. They looked like something ... I can't say. Our designers got exceedingly creative. They're pants you would wear if you were part of the caravan. If you put them on, they looked great. They were very flattering. They were just a little too creative.

Q: What's your favorite item in cabi's fall 2015 line?

A: I don't usually wear red, but there's a beautiful red jacket called the Beau Jacket. It has this darling bow on it. It's just whimsical. I love the color and the lining. I also love the look of a pair of jeans with a beautiful Versace-looking blouse called the Amour, and an animal print belt called the Kipling. It's casual but luxurious, and it has this really great mixed vibe to it. You could wear it with pair of flats, or out to dinner with your husband.

Q: Your stylists are women from all walks of life?

A: Yes, and we invest hugely in our women. We don't mind doing it. We want these women to be successful and to see this as a growth opportunity. We call it a culture of leadership. We invest millions of dollars where we bring all these women together and train them to become leaders and businesswomen and better communicators, and that's been deeply satisfying for me. We do deliver a true career opportunity for women who want it. They invest in their inventory and they are set up to be in a successful business. For me, personally, that's driven my commitment to cabi - investing in these women and watching them grow and develop as entrepreneurial women.

Q: What's next for cabi?

A: We're expanding into Canada. We expect that to grow wildly, and we're

very excited about that. We've also launched a jewelry line as a way to help women complete an outfit. That's going well. Six months ago, we launched W.e. Are Cabi program. That is my real passion.

Q: What is W.e. Are Cabi?

A: I am so thrilled with this. Through a partnership with (Chicago-based) Opportunity International, we give microloans to women across the world. When a woman starts a cabi business, she gets a picture of her sister entrepreneur from somewhere in the world. Because you started a business here (in the U.S.), you are helping a woman start a business and you will grow your businesses together. It's been a wonderful thing to see.