Lemont Woman Launches Indie-Inspired Online Boutique

Renee Sokolis is a new mother – not of a child, but of a new website, 11 Eureka.

“To say that I’m a little obsessed about it, like the whole getting the website going, is kind of an understatement,” the 29-year-old Lemont native said. “But I think when you love something and it’s your baby that’s what you do.”

Launched this past August, 11 Eureka is an online store that features what Sokolis calls “indie, Bohemian and vintage-inspired” clothing and accessories that she handpicks.

“I really want it to reflect the themes that I love – I love pattern, I love color, I love animals and I love nature,” she said. “All of us shop at Target, all of us shop at Macy’s. I just want something where you can go and get something just a little different.”

Sokolis said she finds a lot of her merchandise – which she has dedicated a whole room of her house to – while taking road trips with family and friends. Some of her best finds, she said, are house wares and jewelry from Kentucky, Minnesota and Michigan.

“That’s been probably my favorite part of the whole thing,” she said. “I love Lemont but there’s so much out there to see and everybody has different fashion in different cities.”

Sokolis does try, however, to tie her Lemont roots into her business by buying jewelry from local merchants and using nearby locations as the settings for her photo shoots, which often feature models from the village.

One product featured on the website that is personally designed and produced by Sokolis is her small collection of fascinators. She said she was inspired to make the formal headpieces partly from Prince William and Kate Middleton’s wedding.

“They all have vintage pieces on them,” she said. “That’s been my little baby.”

Prior to creating 11 Eureka, Sokolis worked for the now closed in downtown Lemont.

“I got the opportunity to be the buyer and really experience the whole world of fashion,” she said, adding that she has a degree in interior design from Harrington Institute. “I fell in love with it. I fell in love with the whole business…and just expressing yourself.”

But she says running an online store – a reality that she said would have been impossible without all the support she is gets from her family and friends – is much different than working at a local boutique.

“Having the website, you have sales from all over,” she said. “My first sale actually was in Australia and that was really exciting because I thought, ‘Oh God, the web really does reach everywhere.’”

“It’s a totally different thing from a physical store,” she added. “Online…you’re kind of helpless. You have no idea who’s looking; you have no idea what style or look (they have).”

Sokolis said she has received emails from 11 Eureka visitors who want fashion advice, but admits sometimes “trying to read a personality through email is hard.”

Still, she enjoys communicating with her customers and encourages them to also contact her with any questions they have about sizing or product details.

When asked what she hopes for the future of the website, Sokolis said she just hopes it keeps growing.

“I have no idea where it’s going to go,” she said. “I’m so overly excited about the possibilities. I would love, obviously, to expand – eventually I’d love to sell shoes and plus size and a whole variety (of merchandise).”

For more information, visit shop11eureka.com. The site can also be found on Facebook and Pinterest.