CMC Boutique – A Local Filipino-owned Family Business
Founded on October 23, 1997, CMC Boutique is a Filipino-owned mom-and-daughter-and-pop clothing store named after the founders Cirilo, Mila, and Cirimille Paglinawan. Featuring Filipino-inspired fashion, CMC Boutique offers beautifully crafted Filipino boleros, barongs, and more. I came here to grab a Bolero for my wedding, and let me tell you, they are worth the money!
Small businesses like CMC Boutique may not usually cross your mind when considering Las Vegas. When people think of Vegas, they think of high luxury, expensive hotels, exclusive nightclubs and restaurants, and gambling all of their money away. I know I did before moving here, but what I’ve learned since making Vegas my home is how many small businesses grace the community.
Humble Beginnings
I was lucky enough to speak to Cirimille, one of the founders and the daughter of this business trio. Cirimille shared that when her parents originally founded the business, it was a furniture store called Cirmille’s Inc.
“We would deliver and install karaoke equipment [and] every piece of furniture you could imagine for a home. My parents became experts at their craft, and we gained so many customers through our furniture business,” said Paglinawan. “It was so exciting to see the business grow from a small 100 square foot place to an 800 square foot spot in the Rancho Swap Meet in Vegas. Then, after another three months, my parents moved to a 10,000-square-foot location at a shopping center, and we have been there ever since.”
Unfortunately, due to the 2008 economic recession, the demand for furniture rapidly declined. Around 2009, Cirimille’s mother, Mila, decided to transition the business to an Asian/Filipino grocery store, selling snacks, rice, vegetables, and more. Cirimille shared how her mother started receiving more calls asking if they were selling any Barong Tagalog/traditional Filipino wear.
“She noticed how abundant the Filipino community was starting to become in Las Vegas, but there weren’t many resources to acquire our traditional clothing. She began [researching and reaching] out to suppliers and manufacturers in the Philippines … and thus began the journey of CMC Boutique,” Paglinawan said. “My parents were both born in the Philippines, and being so far from home, they were inspired to bring a piece of our culture here to Las Vegas/United States and reconnect the Filipino community with their roots.”
Running a Business as a Family
Like any business, there are ups and downs to running one with your family. At a regular job, you can separate work and life because they’re just people you work with. The unique factor about working with your family is that you don’t exactly get this luxury. Running a business with your family can either bring you closer to them or push them away. Luckily, in Cirimille’s case, it brought her family closer together.
“We are all practically with each other 24/7, so there are definitely a lot of moments where we don’t agree on certain things, or we clash with our ideas because we simply have different ways of approaching situations,” Paglinawan said. “However, our communication has definitely been a growing point for all of us. My parents and I have really learned to work well together over the past few years, and it’s been truly amazing to see our relationship flourish.”
Cirimille said she’s learned so much about life and running a business from her parents and vice versa. Cirimille has taught her parents much about the digital age and our ever-changing society.
“I don’t mean to get emotional, but working together as a family has not only brought us closer to each other, but it’s also truly reminded me of what it means to me to be Filipino…. and that is FAMILY,” she said. “I honestly think that the love we have is extremely reflective in our business and the way we treat our customers, the community, and our dedication to our craft.”
Building a Found Family in The Community
Regarding community, Cirimille shared that the business helped her connect to her roots and cherish her history. She expresses gratitude that she gets to meet so many people and help them on their special day, guiding them through planning out designs, picking colors, trying on styles, and finally seeing it all come together. On top of all this, the people who come into CMC Boutique often end up becoming friends and family to them.
“Almost all of them will keep in touch with us, surprising us with news that they are pregnant or other exciting milestones, calling us Tita/Tito/Ate/Kuya, bringing us gifts, and inviting us to their events,” Paglinawan said. “It’s moments like these that make us so happy to do what we do, and it never feels like work at the end of the day.”
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Goals for CMC Boutique
With running a business in the digital age, one of the Paglinawan family’s biggest goals involves continuing their website launch. Since CMC Boutique features the largest Barong Tagalog and Filipiniana Wear selection in the United States, Cirimille is eager to put its hundreds of products online.
“Our business has always been a brick-and-mortar physical location, and with us starting to reach more states, it’s not as easy to sell without a website,” said Paglinawan. “I didn’t know anything about website building, so I taught myself everything with the trusty help of the internet and was able to build our entire website from scratch. However, this means that I am doing pretty much everything alone, so it’s definitely taking some time to upload our products and get everything situated.”
Celebrating Filipino-American History Month in October, in true CMC Boutique style, they ended the month with a bang! They even produced a fashion show with local talent at the VegasFAB Trade Expo on October 28.
The boutique also launched its new CMC COUTURE Collection, and customers can check out snippets of that new collection on their Facebook & Instagram! They hope to host another fashion show for Philippine Independence Day next June, so stay updated on their socials for the latest information.
#GetinMotion with CMC Boutique
Visit CMC Boutique at 1401 N. Decatur Blvd, Suite 31, Las Vegas, NV 89108. The store opens from 11 AM to 8 PM Monday through Saturday and closes on Sunday.
Follow CMC Boutique on Instagram and Facebook to stay updated on any future events, or visit their website to place an order!
And stay tuned for my next article featuring Cirimille Paglinawan!
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