Palm Beach native Randi Siegal was destined for the world of fashion. In sixth grade, Randi launched her first business - an accessory line of denim bracelets created from her father's worn-out jeans. She won her school's entrepreneur award for her efforts -foreshadowing a career path that would be realized fifteen years later.
In the interim, Randi honed her business skills at the University of Michigan, where she earned a Bachelors of Business Administration degree in 1998. She then held positions in the financial industry for companies in Chicago, Illinois and New York City. But the pull of the fashion world proved too great. A simple twist of fate and her family's entrepreneurial legacy altered the course of Randi's professional life forever!
In 2002, Randi had the idea to create a stationery line, inspired by both her grandparents. Her grandfather Sol had a clothing store, Vicky Lane, in California and her grandfather Wilbur had a successful postcard business. Needing something to "pay the bills" while developing the collection, Randi took a cue from her grandmother - who used to run a gift shop in front of the postcard warehouse. Later that same year, Rapunzel's of Palm Beach, coined from Randi's childhood nickname opened its doors. Painted in her grandmother's favorite color purple, Rapunzel's quickly became known for its vintage items, jewelry, t-shirts, stationery, handbags, totes and other home décor pieces.
While working in her new shop, Randi soon began to acknowledge the shortage of local places to buy edgy, fashion-forward clothing. Known for its more sophisticated, tailored and polished look, Palm Beach did not offer Randi and her creative contemporaries the trend-setting selections they craved. So, in September 2003, Randi called on her innate sense of style and business savvy to open her first clothing boutique Rapunzel's Closet, two doors down from the gift shop, on Royal Poinciana Way.
Just as Lily Pulitzer paved the way for the pastel prints the area is often associated with, Randi introduced stodgy Palm Beach to a wide range of designers that the island's denizens often had to pick up on their globetrotting travels. Jeans became the shops calling card, along with an eclectic mix of new and well-known fashion and accessories designers. The resulting success was instant - so much so - that just three months later Randi introduced her second boutique of the same name, on the opposite side of Palm Beach, just off chic shopping destination Worth Avenue.
In May 2004, Randi launched Rapunzel's e-commerce site www.shoprapunzels.com, which allowed the snow bunnies to continue shopping after the thaw, and for people all over the world to enjoy the latest and greatest from this chic style emporium.
In 2005, Randi became the youngest director on the Palm Beach Chamber of Commerce. Her presence injects a much-needed breath of fresh air into the island's old world establishment. Her youthful point of view plays an integral part in bringing her hometown into the 21st century, while still honoring its illustrious past.
In 2007, Randi decided to close the gift store, and re-open its doors as a children’s store, named Lil Rapunzel’s. Noticing the bulk of sales were from baby clothing and gifts, she purchased clothing in the infant, toddler, child and tween sizes that are sister brands to those carried in her adult stores. With her 2008 re-launch of
http://www.shoprapunzels.com/default.aspx, Randi included these new children’s categories in her site.
Randi lives in New York City with her husband Sam, new son Brett and their precious pooch Newman. She travels to Palm Beach monthly and can usually be found behind the register or helping customers at either of the boutiques. She still dreams of that stationery line - and if history is any indication - we may be seeing that idea come to fruition in years to come.
Posts
