Short Story is This:
two entrepreneurs fell in love and had a business baby. But the full story? Well, grab a mug of something good, sit back and read on . . .
Bel Kai Founded: 2006
Meet Whitney, Founder of Bel Kai
On a trip to Paris in high school, Whitney walked into a sweet little boutique and imagined owning it - along with a little shop dog, a baby on her hip, and a loft apartment above. Years later, armed with a dream to help support her growing family and a desire to help other women and children, Bel Kai was born in a California bungalow. Bel Kai began as a custom jewelry studio that celebrates life’s memories + meaningful moments. Passionate, determined, and largely self-taught, Whitney has been designing & directing at Bel Kai for 18 years.
Girl boss. Hashtag killing it.
MudLOVE Founded: 2009
Meet Luke, Founder of MudLOVE
A self-described artistineer, (Art.ist.neer (noun): a person too much in love with the process of making art efficiently to be a full-blown artist, but not smart enough to be a full-blown engineer), Luke was born and raised in Winona Lake, IN. Armed with nothing more than an old stamp set, a box of clay, and a plan to support clean water projects in Africa, Luke started MudLOVE in a small garage in the Fall of 2009.
2013
Love + Marriage, Belove is Born
Luke and Whit first started hanging out to, you know, talk about business. And as they say, the rest is history. The two entrepreneurs soon fell in love and were married in 2013.
After they were married, Luke and Whit decided to merge their businesses. And so Bel Kai + MudLOVE became Belove.
Originally housed in the cozy garage where MudLOVE had its beginning, Belove set out to carry two flagship brands: MudLOVE & Bel Kai.
2016
Rebrand + Re-Opening
In 2016, Belove underwent a rebrand and refreshed its look in the garage space—ushering in a new chapter of warmth and intentionality. Alongside our core offerings, we began curating a thoughtful collection of vintage treasures and lovely giftable items from social good vendors, creating a space where beauty, purpose, and community come together.
Fall 2021
A Bigger + Brighter Home
In the fall of 2021, when a larger space opened up in The Village at Winona, we jumped at the opportunity and made the move—tripling our footprint and expanding Belove in every way.
Impact
Greater Impact
In the fall of 2021, we committed to giving back to our community.
Dreamers + doers, Luke and Whit believe that the motivation to do business shouldn’t be driven by creating a profit for personal gain, but instead for the well-being of others.
At Belove, 'a give back gift shop', our vision is to connect customers to the common interest of loving others and doing good in our community. We want to give our customers the opportunity to make a difference through a great product that gives back. Every MudLOVE + Bel Kai product purchased provides safe work for women in the Dominican Republic.
In addition, 5% of each sale is being invested into our local community.