New Iberia native Agnes Jones-Smothers wanted to find a way to help young people while also educating them and after the recent opening of her new store Amore & Kisses, she was able to start achieving that goal.

Located on St. Peter Street next to Meche’s Donuts, Jones-Smothers’ first store opened on Dec. 17 and is aimed at being a luxury hair company.

“We sell edge controls, virgin hair, raw hair, we sell lashes, frontal wraps,” Jones-Smothers said.

Being from the Teche Area and living here her whole life, Jones-Smothers remembers how hard it was to find a quality store with people who are accustomed to dealing with hair.

Knowing how hard it was not only for herself but also for older people to find someone used to dealing with hair, Jones-Smothers and her husband made it a point to start a business that was able to give back to the community.

“We try to give people better services, and to help the edlerly,” Jones-Smothers said. “To help more kids and it was important to open in New Iberia because New Iberia is where I was raised.”

Jones-Smothers wants to use her store to help bring the community back together. Because she’s young herself, she wants to be a role model to the youth and to show them they too can achieve success.

“They come in here, they shop and come get advice and that’s mostly why I opened up in New Iberia,” Jones-Smothers said. “I still want to be that big sister to the younger kids that need that role model and that help.”

A mother of four daughters with a baby on the way, Jones-Smothers said she has plenty of experience, since she has worked with hair her whole life.

“To sell it and to give great quality and service, that’s why I got into it,” Jones-Smothers. “Quality is everything.”

In the next six months or so, Jones-Smothers said she plans for the store to expand into clothing. The store’s website, Amore & Kisses.com, allows people to browse the shop’s selections.

She and her husband chose the name Amore & Kisses to show love and care for others, and the response from the community has been loving and supportive.

“I love the community,” Jones-Smothers said. “Even if you don’t shop for hair, I have eyelashes, edge control and they are coming in and showing love.”

She wouldn’t have thought the support would be this welcoming but for Jones-Smothers it’s the same as her store’s name.

“It’s been love,” Jones-Smothers said. “They’ve been coming in and showing love.”

Jones-Smothers calls it a blessing to be able to teach others in New Iberia and to be the person she’s always wanted to be.

“It’s a blessing to show the kids that you can make it in your community,” Jones-Smothers said. “You can try to be successful in your community. You do have that love in your community.”