When she started her popular New Orleans-inspired t-shirt and merchandise line back in 2009, Lauren LeBlanc, a.k.a. Fleurty Girl, was a single mother of three with a $2,000 tax refund. With nothing but talent, hard work, and that $2,000, she began one of the most successful businesses in New Orleans. Lauren embodies the Fleurty Girl persona and brand through her active use of social media and her public appearances, including serving as emcee for the New Year’s Eve festivities in Jackson Square and as one of our very own GoNOLA TV hosts.
From humble beginnings in a shotgun house on Oak Street, Fleurty Girl now has three locations in New Orleans proper and can also be found at Lakeside Plaza in Metairie and in Mandeville. Fleurty Girl is inspired by New Orleans, the people who love it, and everything that makes this city unique. When the NFL sent a cease and desist letter to local businesses asking them to stop printing “Who Dat” shirts, New Orleanians were outraged and so was Lauren. Fleurty Girl vocally led the charge for the right to use “Who Dat” and became a local hero in the process.
Fleurty Girl carries everything from the wildly popular “Who Dat” and fleur de lis shirts, to jewelry and home decor, CDs by New Orleans musicians and locally made soap. If you love New Orleans, Fleurty Girl is your one-stop shop. You can visit one of the five locations or shop Fleurty Girl online.
Fleurty Girl is also a well-known social media personality and advocate for all things NOLA. She’s constantly sharing content and tips about what makes New Orleans different — and awesome. Find her on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest.
Lauren gains a lot of her social media content through her role as a GoNOLA TV host. “We as locals should be experiencing all the things we encourage visitors to do,” she said. Thanks to GoNOLA TV, I always have lots of great recommendations for visitors who come into my stores.” Read below for all Fleurty Girl’s favorite things to do in NOLA.
20 Questions with Fleurty Girl
1. Who is your favorite New Orleanian, dead or alive, real or imagined?
Louis Armstrong is my favorite New Orleanian and also one of my favorite people ever. I think he is New Orleans’ proudest son and I wish I could’ve gotten to meet him. What a cool cat, amazing talent, and generous human being.
2. What first brought you to New Orleans?
I was born here, so I am one of the lucky ones. I think those of us who are born here don’t realize just how amazing New Orleans is until we visit other places. I lived here my whole life and then moved to Baton Rouge to go to LSU and I remember people still having to go to work on Mardi Gras Day. I didn’t understand how a city didn’t shut down for this holiday! It was then that I realized there is no place like New Orleans and I couldn’t wait to get back.
3. In your opinion – what’s the best neighborhood in New Orleans?
All the neighborhoods in New Orleans have special things about them. I’ve lived in the Garden District, the Riverbend, and in Broadmoor. I’d say my favorite of those is the Garden District, and more specifically, the Lower Garden District. It’s great proximity to downtown and it just has this gothic feel to it. And it looks good in any weather too, rain or shine.
4. City Park or Audubon Park?
City Park. So many nooks and crannies to just hide away and get lost in. I love that about City Park, oh, and the addition of beignets at Morning Call. I highly recommend the Gondola ride in City Park, too! That was one of my favorite GoNOLA TV episodes.
5. Describe the best meal you’ve eaten in New Orleans?
That’s a hard one! We’re so lucky to live in such a great food city that we eat those “best meals ever” all the time! My boyfriend and I love Cane & Table. The fried ribs, the melted tomatoes, the fried corn on the cob. The cocktails. It’s my current best meal, but it always gets outdone in this wonderful city.
6. Where’s your favorite brunch spot?
Atchafalaya. You just can’t beat that Bloody Mary Bar. They even have green tomato juice if you want something different. Oh, and their grits. Lawd. They make them with cream cheese and I don’t know whether to eat it or rub it all over my face. So good!
7. What’s your favorite po-boy? Where do you go to get it?
My favorite po-boy is the oyster, bacon, and Havarti at Ye Olde College Inn. Oyster po-boys are my most favorite. A tip for other oyster po-boy lovers: Parkway only has oysters available on Mondays, BUT sometimes on Wednesdays they’ll have them too if they didn’t sell all of their oysters on Monday.
8. You’ve got friends visiting and it’s their first time in New Orleans – where are you taking them?
Straight to Jackson Square on foot with absolutely no agenda. That’s the best part about this city, you never know what you’re going to find around each corner.
9. What’s your favorite neighborhood bar?
I’m a cocktail girl so I love Bar Tonique. It’s a craft cocktail bar with a neighborhood bar feel, and I love that. They have great daily specials too!
10. What is your favorite New Orleans cocktail and where do you go to get it?
I love the Pequot Fizz. It is believed to have been a Henry Ramos recipe as it was featured in an Elks cookbook back when Henry was a member, but we don’t know for sure. It’s lighter than the Ramos Gin Fizz so I find it more refreshing and good for any time of day or year.
11. Snowball or Daiquiri? Where from and what flavor?
Both! Depends on the mood. My favorite is the chocolate snowball with condensed milk at Hansen’s. It’s like the sloppy roast beef po-boy of snowballs. For a daiquiri, I love the frozen Bourbon Milk Punch at Bourbon House. Delicious and it tastes just like an Eggnog Daiquiri, which is usually available only during the holidays. But the frozen Bourbon Milk Punch is available all year round.
12. Best spot to see live music?
Three Muses is small and [can get] crowded, but I just love the way it feels in there. And the food and cocktails can’t be beat!
13. Favorite New Orleans musician or band?
Glenn David Andrews. Can’t see that man play enough.
14. Favorite New Orleans festival?
Jazz Fest. Every year I try to make all seven days. The most I ever made it was six. Maybe this year will be the year I finally do all seven!
15. Favorite Mardi Gras parade?
Zulu. It’s worth getting up early to see it! Never a disappointment, and I can’t stop dancing.
16. Where do you shop in New Orleans?
Magazine Street. So many options and no matter what you’re looking for, it’s there.
17. What is your favorite New Orleans museum?
The New Orleans Pharmacy Museum in the French Quarter is an underappreciated gem.
18. Where do you go to watch The Saints play?
My house with friends and family over. I love having the amenities of home while watching the Saints play. It’s cheaper than the suites!
19. Describe New Orleans in one word.
Spectacular.
20. When was the last time you fell in love with New Orleans and why?
I fall in love with New Orleans every single day. New Orleans is like being married to someone for your whole life and finding different things to love about them every day. Now, if I could just find a man that I feel the same way about.
