Neighborhood Business Highlight: Style Assembly
Kate Newman, owner, with her family
Kate Newman has been in the retail business since she was 17 years old. She always knew she wanted to open her own clothing store, and after a decade of living in Oxford, she was able to make that dream a reality. Style Assembly opened in August 2021. But that wasn’t enough. Kate wanted to give back, so she was able to land a teaching job at Ole Miss in the IMC (Integrated Marketing Communications) department where she could share her talents and love of retail with other aspiring students. Kate has always believed in paying it forward and we couldn’t agree more. Check out why we think Style Assembly is so fantastic!
An Oklahoma City native, Kate Newman knew she was meant to be in retail after working her first retail job and becoming addicted to the feeling of helping others feel great about themselves through clothing. She attended the University of Alabama earning a degree in Apparel and Textiles. She lived in New York for a few years working wholesale, but the goal was always to own her own clothing store. Her husband, Christopher Newman, an Ole Miss alum, landed a job in the Marketing department at Ole Miss and they moved to Oxford.
Kate teaching IMC students in her store
After the big move to Oxford, Kate managed Village Taylor on the Oxford Square for 9 years. It wasn’t until after Covid that her own clothing business would become a reality. Kate recently shared, “It’s always been the dream. My own store. Covid and a second child put me out of my comfort zone. My brain needed this. It was the perfect time and I came across the perfect place by accident. I love the location and I could immediately see the vision of the space after I viewed it the first time.”
The name of her store, Style Assembly, was a work in progress until it “stuck”. Kate shared, “I wanted people to know what we do here. We help women with the idea of assembling their style and we help them feel like they can assemble their style or pieces of clothing here and put their guard down. The name, Style Assembly, just stuck.”
Kate and her team are there Tuesdays through Saturdays (and some Sundays). Kate shared, “Yes, I am the owner and I manage the store, but we are a team. I want my team to know and feel like they have a voice, because they do.” They will schedule private appointments in person or on zoom and hope to expand that side of the business within the next year. Style Assembly prides itself on having different price points and sizing options available, most items being machine washable and the fabrics being a higher quality.
We ask our Neighborhood businesses how the Oxford and Lafayette county real estate market affects them. Kate shared, “Real estate prices going up indicate to me that retail prices are about to go up. It allows me to know how my business is going to do in the next 6 months. That’s partly why I decided to open in August 2021. Higher real estate prices. I knew we would have a successful opening.”
We are grateful to Kate and her team at Style Assembly for helping us to navigate the world of fashion and allowing us to be comfortable in our own skin. Style Assembly is located at 203 North Lamar Blvd. and is open Tuesday-Saturday 10 AM – 5 PM and some Sundays. Follow them on Instagram/Facebook for special sales and fashion tips.
Neighborhoods close by: Ammadelle, Jefferson Park, Canterbury Square, 1200 Jefferson, North Lamar Historic Residential, Bienville Place
