Elaine Penny and Anne Brand have been styling women from top-to-toe for five years. To celebrate their anniversary, the owners of Fashionista in Oldmeldrum give YL a glimpse into their world of glitz and glamour.
How did you both meet?
We met through a mutual friend and relation at the launch of the Danish clothes collection that Anne was showing at that particular time.
What made you decide to work together?
We built up a customer relationship and friendship over the course of a year, finding we were on the same wavelength, but were very different in our unique way.
We have a different group of friends we both value individually, nevertheless we have both become great friends over the years.
It was a perfect base on which to start a business when Anne wanted to extend her business and Elaine was looking to do something completely different.
When did you open Fashionista?
April 2011, it’s been five fabulous years.
How long did it take you to get the business started?
Just over two months. It seemed to go very smoothly. We contacted new and existing suppliers flying to England and Ireland, and had great fun planning and designing the interior of the shop. Our husbands and families were a great help throughout.
Have you always been interested in fashion?
Totally. Like any woman we love clothes.
Describe your own style.
We both have completely different styles which we both respect, which is advantageous to our business.
Sometimes we both like the same things. That completely surprises us and we know we’re on to a winner.
We get excited when the new collections come in and love our trying-on sessions and our styles can change completely.
What happens in a typical day in the shop?
We don’t have a typical day as every day is so different. All our wonderful customers make each day different for us. Our favourite part of the job is customers coming in looking for the right outfit or organising their new season wardrobe.
We love spending time getting the right outfit and getting to know each customer.
We also have accounts, re-ordering of supplies and each day a new delivery arrives. We spend a lot of time making sure the boutique is attractive and pristine at all times.
What do you like most about your job?
The wonderful customers and the joy of making people happy and finding their individual style. We also love our time away buying and the joy of meeting our suppliers, some of whom have become loyal friends over the last five years.
What are the biggest challenges in your job?
Always being one step ahead of the market and respecting what your competitors are selling to avoid repetition on both parts. Looking for that unique product that is not readily available in the area or on the internet.
How do you choose the products you sell? Do you work with different suppliers?
We individually source our own products and do not attend fashion trade shows.
We pride ourselves in the fact that certain suppliers have chosen Fashionista to sell their product.
We work independently with our suppliers, with loyalty very high on both sides.
What kind of person would love to shop in Fashionista?
Everyone. Our collection and style covers all ages and a budget to suit everyone. We love when a grandma, mum and granddaughter visit the shop and all leave with their individual purchases.