The Frugality of Fashion
Located on Metropolitan Avenue in Brooklyn, NY, conveniently close to the Lorimer Street stop on the L train, Anavaa Kisasa is one of the many funky boutiques in Williamsburg.
Located on Metropolitan Avenue in Brooklyn, NY, conveniently close to the Lorimer Street stop on the L train, Anavaa Kisasa is one of the many funky boutiques in Williamsburg. Owner Zulema N. George officially opened the store in August 2008, and from that summer on it’s been an exciting ride for George both as an entrepreneur and a handbag designer. Once a biology/chemistry major, George responded to the inner calling of becoming a fashion designer instead of pursuing a career in medicine. The decision turned out to be a great one, even though George is not saving lives in an ER. She brings indie fashions to not just people in New York, but people from all over the country with the boutique’s online sibling.
Juggling two roles at the same time can be tough, but George seems to be doing just fine.
“My sketch book is always by my side and for the most part filled with design ideas,” George says. “As a business owner, I am conducting business whether my boutique is open or closed. I am always trying to improve on customer relations, deciding on the next in-store event or sale, looking for events, trunk shows, et cetera, to participate in as a vendor.”
With an insight on both ends of the spectrum, George relates easily to indie designers and starting business owners. The unique position enables George to be a mentor to designers that she works with as well as offering them a platform for them to showcase designs.
Spotlighting underground fashions is the essence of George’s work as she helps promote her fellow designers.
“The designers I choose are a cut above the rest,” George says. “The talent that shows through their pieces makes it almost impossible to keep their merchandise on the shelves, and that brings me great pleasure.”
Some of the hidden gems that Anavaa Kisasa carries include earrings by UNDFND and conscious, thought-evoking T-shirts by Substance. Among all the goodies, there has to be something (or some things) that George thinks are the most central to the store, right?
“I think all of the items I carry are essential pieces for my customers … I think different pieces are essentials for different people,” George says. “Each one of my customers has their own sense of style and what might be essential to one is not essential to the other.”
Indeed, fashion can be general, while style is individual. But sales don’t lie, and what are the best sellers in the boutique? Apparently, Anavaa Kisasa’s loyal shoppers have a thing for one-of-a-kind dresses by various designers, and they’re huge fans of candles by Sanctuaire Beauty Bar. Obviously, being comfortable in your clothes is just as important as being comfortable at your own home to these AK fashionistas.
Equally important is being the only one who owns a certain piece of garment or an accessory. Well, in Anavaa Kisasa’s case, maybe being one out of five or six people in New York, because that’s the number of each piece that George chooses to carry.
“As a consumer, I loathe the thought of buying an item, wearing it, and walking into a room where more than one woman has the same outfit as me,” George says. “My customers can confidently buy a piece from my boutique, and know that the chances of them seeing someone with that same item is slim to none. And they love that!”
Maintaining an online and physical existence of Anavaa Kisasa is not an easy job. While some mistake running online business is less demanding, George says otherwise. Updating the Web site regarding inventory and keeping customers informed on what is available can be a 24/7 job, unlike the actual storefront that gets closed in the evening. But one thing George does get excited about having a physical store; that is being able to communicate with shoppers face to face.
“[The added benefit of one-on-one contact with customers when they walk into your store] is this aspect that I love the most,” she says. “Talking to the customers, getting their feedback, and helping them with their purchases makes it all worthwhile to me. Seeing my customers come in, try something on, and transform right before my eyes makes me very happy.”
As George moves forward in 2010, keeping her promise of a boutique for the frugal fashionista, she is looking to expand the business by co-launching a jewelry line, opening another store, and most intriguingly, working with a women’s collective in Kenya to produce some of her designs.
Looks like George is rocking her way out of the recession as we embrace the coming of a spring season, even though the economy never really had a profound impact on Anavaa Kisasa, where the price tag remains friendly from $10 to $300. No wonder the boutique has a devoted following.
Check out Anavaa Kisasa online at www.theakstyle.com.
(Photo credit: Anavaa Kisasa)
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