When Kelli Hull walked into a Monkee's boutique in Raleigh eight years ago, she was struck by how a 1,200-square-foot store could carry major contemporary labels. Now, after nearly 20 years in Washington, DC, Hull is bringing that concept to her native Texas. She will open Monkee's of Fair Oaks Ranch on August 20, as detailed in a recent episode of the Building Texas Show.
The episode, titled "She Left DC to Open a Boutique in Fair Oaks Ranch" and hosted by Justin McKenzie, captures a story of reverse migration and retail opportunity. Hull identified a clear gap in the Texas Hill Country market for contemporary women's fashion designers. After living in the DC area for two decades, where she supported special operations and Central Intelligence Agency clients through her consulting business, she decided to return to her roots.
Hull chose Fair Oaks Ranch's Lemon Creek Ranch development, anchored by an H-E-B with I-10 access, over other sites in Kendall and Bexar County. She praised developer Valcour and noted that Bexar County permitting turned around in roughly 72 hours. The Monkee's franchise process involved paperwork at ownamonkeys.com and a Discovery Day in Winston-Salem with VP of Franchising Pete Greene.
Hull's boutique will carry brands such as Paige Denim, Frame, Aviator Nation, Farm Rio, Millie, Shoshanna, and Marie Oliver. She credits the franchise's collective buying power for opening doors, recounting a recent New York trip where she bought 2027 collections at the Farm Rio showroom before her store had even opened. On customer experience, she tells McKenzie: "It is my solemn vow to you that I will never let you leave Monkee's of Fair Oaks in something that doesn't look phenomenal on you. I promise."
Hull is also building a military affinity program tied to her Army Reserve officer husband and the Junior League of San Antonio. She plans to offer a Sunday by-appointment personal shopping model aimed at busy traveling professionals, and will host private after-hours events and a grand opening gathering for the Junior League's Military Affinity Group. Monkee's of Fair Oaks Ranch will be store number 8 in Texas and roughly number 67 nationally.
The episode is available now on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. The Building Texas Show profiles founders, operators, and community builders shaping business across Texas, delivering grounded interviews on scaling operations and navigating local markets.
