Sagine Pierre, 41, the owner of Sage & Angie, the three-year-old boutique in West Hempstead, named after her daughters says the shop dresses the community. And she knows her community well.
She says her customer base includes (but is definitely not limited to) Orthodox Jewish people and “churchgoing Black folks” for whom “modest wear” is a must. “I worked at Lord & Taylor for 11 years and some of my Jewish customers would have to buy two dresses to make one. They’d circle the entire store looking for a skirt past the knee, longer sleeves or more coverage at the neck.” Now, Pierre offers “a healthy selection of ‘modest wear.’ It does not have to be boring,” says Pierre. “I always try to find something in a different print or color, though my Jewish customers wear black, gray and navy a lot.”
Her church clientele “go the other way. They still want it modest but we’re not afraid of color,” says Pierre. “We like to make statements and we want to shine and have fun with colors but still dress properly for church.”
Beyond modest wear, which only makes up about 25% of the inventory, Sage & Angie offers a fun, fashionable mix. “Everybody who walks in here can find something,” says Pierre. “We have sexy off-the-shoulder tops, camo, sweatshirts and the most amazing jeans. I understand the body and I know what pieces look good on what shapes,” she says. She also offers a selection of “Afro-centric pieces” (last February she presented a showcase of Black designers that included an appearance by Yandy Smith, a reality star from BET’s “Love & Hip Hop.”) Before the pandemic, Pierre says, “Our clothes used to be a little dressier, but now we’re a little more Boho with statement pieces focusing on loungewear and stuff that’s a little more comfy.”
She has hosted in-store events and fashion shows and is slowly moving toward that again, doing them virtually and with social distancing. One she held last year for the local Chabad won her a fan club. “We fell in love with her,” says Joni Nathanson, 76, who ran the event. “At the fashion show, she did her homework and spoke about the perfect outfit to wear to “Shul” (the Jewish word for temple)."
Prices at Sage & Angie go from $12 for a pair of earrings to $110 for a dress or jacket and brands include Free People, Z Supply, Gracia and Tractor. There’s a live sale on Facebook at 7 p.m. each Thursday.
Sage & Angie is located at 235 Nassau Blvd, West Hempstead, 516-500-9445, sageandangie.com.
The Link LonkSeptember 04, 2020 at 05:00PM
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West Hempstead boutique owner looks to 'dresses the community' - Newsday
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