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LAPLACE — When Marchelle Washington left retail sales more than five years ago, she missed the one-on-one interaction with clients and seeing their faces light up with smiles when they found what they were looking for. She needed something else to light that fire in her heart, and she found it through Paparazzi Accessories.

When she isn’t spending time with her family, Washington sells Paparazzi necklaces, earrings, bracelets and rings through her small business, “Chelle’s Glam Spot.” Her jewelry wholesale business has a presence online and at the Choice Marketplace on Cambridge Drive in LaPlace.

“I’ve been in retail most of my life, and I worked for Verizon Wireless for 18 years. I love working with people. I love helping people. It’s sort of a therapy for me just knowing I’ve been able to help people get something that they love,” Washington said.

Washington fell in love with Paparazzi as a customer in 2019. She was a big fan of late-night shopping at the time, as insomnia often led her to scroll through social media into the early hours of the morning. She started watching Facebook Lives from a Paparazzi independent consultant and realized it was something she would like to do.

Washington puts her personal stamp on the business by being a spokesperson for it. While she can make a sale any day of the week online, Washington prefers to interact one-on-one with her customers inside the building to get a feel for what styles best suit them.

Chelle’s Glam Spot offers several styles of Paparazzi Jewelry, from the earthy designs of the Glimpses of Malibu collection to the flashier, diamond-studded Fiercely Fifth Avenue collection.

Meanwhile, the Zi collection consists of high-end jewelry pieces that cost more than $5 but remain within an affordable $25 range.

“The products are inexpensive and made with good quality materials. We have something for everybody and every style. You can dress down or dress up in our jewelry,” Washington said. “We have what we call blockbuster items that you can get all the time, but we also have new releases every day.”

While many assume Paparazzi jewelry is only geared toward women, Chelle’s Glam Spot also offers stylish men’s necklaces, rings and bracelets.

Washington said it has been a blessing to connect with like-minded vendors each weekend at Choice Marketplace. She’s been with Choice for a year, having joined in on pop-up shops held before the marketplace’s grand opening.

“It’s a family-oriented atmosphere where you can feel comfortable while meeting other vendors that have the same passion for what you’re doing,” Washington said. “I just wish more people would realize that we’re here. I encourage people to come out and visit us. You don’t even have to buy anything. Just come out and see what we are building here.”

Chelle’s Glam Spot is at Choice Marketplace at 1005 Cambridge Drive from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. every Saturday. For more information, call 504-417-3460, find Chelles Glam Spot on Facebook or visit paparazziaccessories.com/324058.