Raleigh boutiques have a strong following, which includes many college students. Two of these, Bevello and Fab’rik , are located in Cameron Village.
Both boutiques are chains yet locally owned. Only two years old, Cameron Village’s Bevello boutique is the first of eleven. Owner Chan Namgong recently expanded the boutique chain to Virginia.
Fab’rik’s birthplace was in Atlanta, but the two boutiques in Raleigh and Chapel Hill are owned by Paige Garner. The one at Cameron Village has been there for four years.
Both Namgong and Garner saw an opportunity to offer trendy, stylish clothing at an accessible price point. Cameron Village was an ideal location since it was both a shopping destination and in the heart of downtown Raleigh.
“Four years ago, there were no boutiques in the area that were offering a wide variety of trendy clothing at low prices,” Garner said. “I would describe the style of Fab’rik as affordable trendy. The racks are full of trendy, affordable, unique, and fashion-forward items as opposed to classics. We only order 6 of each item, 2 in each size, so you won’t see everyone else wearing your dress, jacket, shirt, etc.”
Another aspect of boutiques Garner likes is the personalized customer service.
“I really wanted to bring that to the Raleigh area because stellar customer service is something I always enjoyed about boutiques.”
Many sales associates in the Cameron Village boutiques are University students. Among them is Liz Dupont , a senior in education and sales associate at Bevello in Cameron Village.
“The experience of shopping at a boutique is a lot different than shopping at the mall. It’s much more personalized and friendly. Also, the clothes tend to be more tailored to the local style of the area. You’ll find unique items that fit the trends currently happening around you, not halfway across the country.”
Fab’rik incorporates local events and fun marketing ideas, like offering cupcakes and coffee in the morning, to create a fun and local vibe at the store. Bevello often sets up private shopping parties for sororities and may have a clothing table full of red for Wolfpack fans if there is an N.C . State football game coming up.
Garner sees college as a time when many students explore their style. She believes boutiques help encourage them to discover it.
^
