From a Jacksonville flea market to the Vegas Strip: Retired veteran turns small business into upscale fashion store

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – What started as a small business selling jewelry and clothes at the Ramona Flea Market in Jacksonville is now an upscale fashion store on the Las Vegas Strip.

This is a story about following your dreams and the determination needed to succeed.

A Jacksonville native and his family spoke to News4JAX about how their strong faith and determination to grow landed them a spot in one of the most popular travel destinations in America.

Richard Clark — a retired U.S. Air Force veteran and Jacksonville native — graduated from William M. Raines High School in 1991 and served for 23 years. After retiring, he returned to Jacksonville and started a small jewelry business, selling products at local flea markets alongside his wife, Clare Skinner, and daughter, Persia.

“My wife actually came up with the idea to start some sort of small business,” Clark said in an interview with News4JAX. “So we started at the flea market and then from there, we spent like a year, you know, selling the jewelry, the leggings, me sitting in the back of the truck with, with her (points to daughter) and my wife moving mannequins around.”

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Within a year, he expanded to pop-up boutiques at Naval Air Station Jacksonville and did those for four years.

The true journey began when Clark and his family went on vacation to Las Vegas.

“We went to Circus Circus and we saw this lady who had her store there, and my wife was like, well, why can’t we do that?” Clark said.

When they returned home from their trip, they hit the ground running.

“We came back to Jacksonville, you know, all excited. We had to put together a game plan, and we figured we needed to show them something. So she contacted Caesars Palace, MGM, everybody — the Palms Hotel, every casino hotel and resort in Las Vegas. We were just getting feedback and then we sat down together to see what we needed to do,” Clark said.

To entice the Las Vegas business owners, Clark and Skinner first opened a store at the Galleria Mall in Fort Lauderdale.

The store, named “Mahruyeh” after the couple’s youngest daughter’s middle name, is noted for its beautiful and hand-chosen unique designs, which Clark personally crafted. Mahruyeh (pronounced: Muh-Ray-uh) is a Persian name that means “pretty face.”

Clark said they did the whole Las Vegas store themselves. No contractors, just the three of them with the occasional help of friends and family.

“I had a friend out here. Luckily, he came in to help me tear up the floor because the prior tenants glued it down,” Clark said. “So, you’re talking me on some ladders with my 8-year-old handing me pannels and my wife holding the ladder. So it was a process.”

Clark said he thanks his mother and father, uncles and aunts, and friends Valdez Hill and Rod Farris for their support.

“Within two weeks, we were picked up at the Fashion Show shopping mall and were offered a No. 1 spot on the list at Caesars Palace,” Clark said.

In a matter of months, Clark’s business had moved from a small boutique to the upscale Fashion Show Mall on the Las Vegas Strip, positioning it among top designer stores.

The family said they are saving up to someday open a store at Caesars Palace, but in the meantime, they are working hard at their current store to put themselves on the map, pay off bills and stand out from the competition.

“Right now, we’re really trying to just get our name out there as much as possible,” Clark said. “And that’s what we really need. We just need to put Mahruyeh on the map because, as you said, we are in here with the giants. We’re here with Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Macy’s, you know, Dillard’s is right next door. So it is tough. But advertisement…advertisement is huge. And that’s why we need to make as much money as we can to afford to pay for that advertisement. Because it is expensive and it is the biggest part of business.”

Clark said other small business owners with big dreams should have a plan, work hard, and believe in themselves.

“There’s a lot of drive and determination, but at the same time, there’s a lot of risk involved because we put a lot of money into Fort Lauderdale,” Clark said. “To make this happen it’s like we were only open two months. So, you’re talking about putting thousands of dollars into a show just as a platform to get to where you want to be. But it all lined up perfectly. I would say, ‘Believe in yourself, but have your ducks in a row because business is tough.’”

Clark said the opportunities keep coming in and they hope the people show up to support the business. He hopes everyone will stop by when they travel and check out Mahruyeh.com. The family prides itself on a great customer experience, great energy and vibes, and compassion.

“We’re just a very normal family, and we’re doing the best we can out here,” Clark said. “I really want to ask the public to just give us that support. That’s what we need. That’s what we really need right now to grow this brand. That’s the stage we are at.”

Clark said the future is bright, and he can envision his store in several different malls. Click here to see