STATUS

Elevate Your Style with Pre-Loved Luxury

By Angella Arndt​

​

​​

Designer handbags and accessories are more than just fashion statements; they are about quality, craftsmanship, and timeless style. However, high price tags can often make them seem unattainable. Luxury does not have to be out of your grasp! Status, a local boutique, makes high-end luxury items more affordable by offering a place to find items that someone else has already treasured.

STATUS offers a selection of pre-loved authentic luxury handbags and accessories. The boutique’s products include handbags, scarves, hats, shoes, and jewelry. Some luxury brands include Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Gucci, and Telfar. The boutique also carries 3AM Luxury handbags, an international brand owned by Jared Hall from Omaha.

Boutique owner Christi Ballard is an Omaha native with over 20 years of experience in the fashion industry. She gained valuable expertise in business operation, marketing, merchandising, and customer service as a regional trainer and manager. “I’ve always loved customer service and providing immediate gratification for people by giving them something they needed,” Christi shares. “I knew that having my own company was the goal; I just had to narrow my options.” She opened STATUS in May 2020, combining her love of luxury and sustainable living.

STATUS was located for four years in Aksarben Village, but Christi is looking for a building to purchase and hopes to relocate by the spring of 2026. Currently, she has a pop-up shop at Rockbrook Village, inside of Label Omaha. “Omaha’s support of sustainable, secondhand luxury has made us the recommended choice in the market,” she notes. STATUS ships to all 50 states, does live selling on social media sites, and holds pop-up shops at different events.

Christi has always loved luxury products, not just because of the name but because of the quality. At age 13, her parents gave Christi her first Louis Vuitton handbag—a piece she still owns. “I would much rather spend more money up front for something instead of paying for it again later because it does not last,” she says. The products she offers at STATUS retain their value. “These are tangible investments that you can get your money out of if you choose to invest in them. You don’t need everything,” she points out, “just a few pieces that go with everything.”

The boutique’s name holds special meaning for Christi. “I wanted the name to be something significant to me but also mean something to my customers.” Her father passed away before she got married, and Christi recalls how he always checked in with her and her siblings. “He would ask us about our status,” she says. It was his way of asking what was happening in their lives. “STATUS is my forever business. And status can be whatever you celebrate; it can be forever.”

Quality and authenticity are vital to the business. Christi uses Entrupy, an AI-powered product verification tool. This tool protects businesses, buyers, and sellers from counterfeit goods. STATUS also offers authentication services and limited consignment services twice a year. They take care to only accept consignment items that fit the boutique’s model.

Some luxury items have date codes that indicate when the item was manufactured. Christi recalls a customer who came into the store with a photo of a bag she wanted in college but could not afford. “This particular bag was not mass-produced,” Christi explains. “She brought the photo to me 30 years after graduating from college and asked if we could find it for her.” They found the bag in great condition; it even had a date code of the year of the customer’s college graduation.

Christi’s customer service philosophy is simple. Her team strives to provide a welcoming and pressure-free shopping experience. “We always introduce ourselves and establish a connection with our customers,” Christi says. “We encourage people to browse and ask questions. We actively listen to provide meaningful answers.”

Transparency is also vital. Items are priced based on their brand, condition, and collection. And the boutique stands behind its products. “If someone uses a bag for six months and changes their mind, they will take priority when we offer consignment,” Christi says. “We will try to get their money back, providing value for their investment.”

“At STATUS, we don’t just sell luxury items,” Christi emphasizes. “We provide expertise, knowledge, and exceptional customer service. If there is a piece someone has always dreamed of owning, we do everything we can to source it and make it happen.”

STATUS is temporarily located inside Label Omaha at 11046 Elm Street, in Rockbrook Village. The boutique is open Tuesday through Friday, from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Saturday from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. You may reach them by phone at 402-915-0262 or find them online at mystatuslux.com. Follow them on social media Facebook or Instagram for the latest updates @mystatuslux.

​