|
Solanlly Morales and her husband Joan Balbuena owners of Lounge Couture and fashionista entrepreneurs have changed the way Northern Manhattan accesses designer clothes. Catering to specific tastes and treating their clients like family is their specialty.
There is no shortage of top-of-the-line fashion in Northern Manhattan. As you walk through the commercial hubs of the neighborhood, boutiques carrying brand names cater to customers with specific fashion sense in a neighborhood where the streets can resemble the catwalk.
Lounge Couture sits on the northeast corner of W. 207th Street and Broadway, and it is owners like Solanlly Morales and Joan Balbuena that have changed the way that Northern Manhattan accesses high fashion. These fashionista entrepreneurs have traveled a long road towards their success, but at the core of their business is a value that has proved stronger and more lasting than any designer piece: family.
It started over 14 years ago, when Morales’s father opened up “Los Taxistas Barbershop” on 10th Avenue, at the far opposite end of the commercial corridor on West 207th Street.
Through the years, the barbershop has turned into a destination. Tucked under the 1 train station, and straddling the busy intersection at West 207th St. and 10th Avenue, the barbershop welcomes a steady flow of taxistas and many other men who stop by for the sacred ritual of a shape up, a shave, or haircut.
It was there that Solanlly Morales met her husband Joan Balbuena when they both worked as barbers at the shop.
“Back then, he used to cut hair and sell watches and colognes on the side,” said Morales, recalling how she and Balbuena met. “That was not only the beginning of our relationship, but also [of] the business that would eventually grow.”
As their relationship developed, they decided to bank on Balbuena’s business sense and salesman skills, and Morales’s fashion knowledge. As soon as the commercial space next door to “Los Taxistas” opened up, they decided to expand what had long operated as a pop-up boutique within the barbershop, and opened Joan Fashion, the men’s designer boutique store which still stands today, and was among the first to open in the neighborhood.
“The barbershop and the boutique became the perfect business combination. Men would come in for their haircuts, and [then] go shopping right next door,” said Morales. “It’s a ritual for some of them; Friday night, they get a shape up, buy a new shirt, go home and get ready for the weekend festivities.”
It wasn’t long until women who would shop for their husbands, fathers, friends and families at Joan Fashion started clamoring for their own store.
“Some of our best customers are women. So we started thinking about adding women’s clothes but the space was not big enough. That’s when we decided to expand and open another location,” said Morales. Enter Lounge Couture.
The shop is a well designed and beautifully decorated space where both women and men’s fashion is displayed with care. Mannequins model the store’s best offerings, which range from body-hugging summer fashions for women to polo and button-down shirts for men. The brands are numerous. There is Ben Sherman for the men, and True Religion and Buffalo for the women, and there are, of course, accessories, plenty of accessories in a boutique that celebrates style and offers friendly service.
So how do the prêt-a-porter pieces make their way from the fashion houses all the way to Northern Manhattan?
They travel far and wide. From a week-long fashion expo downtown, where samples are showcased and retailers can place orders to the men’s fall collection show in Las Vegas. Some pieces are picked from catalogs which Morales receives and uses to place orders depending on the current trends.
It takes a well trained eye, and the talent to predict trends and fashion, a skill that Morales has honed through the years while working at both boutiques.
“Running a boutique means that you have to be three to six months ahead of the fashion curve and have a sense of what’s going to be popular in the coming season,” said Morales, who considers men’s fashion her forte.
By her own account, she has become more familiarized with women’s fashion as she continues to work at the new boutique. “Women’s fashion is much more complex and it requires more detail,” explains Morales.
Most of Lounge Couture’s merchandise is purchased months ahead of time, during which Morales travels to fashion expos, shows, and shops for the season’s trends. Although the boutique is currently filled with summery dresses, open toed shoes, and bright colors, she has already started shopping for the winter holiday season.
Women are not the only shoppers in Northern Manhattan. At Lounge Couture, men seek polos, button down shirts, and the much coveted summertime loafer.
Morales points to her clientele as her best teachers. She prides herself on learning about the client’s tastes from personal interactions, and ensuring that they leave the store satisfied with their purchase.
Those that shop at Lounge Couture include what Morales described as “conservative men” who like the simplicity and clean lines of a polo paired with just the right pair of pants. And don’t underestimate the amount some of the men in Northern Manhattan will spend at the boutique. According to Morales, although men might shop less, they often are willing to pay more for one item, such as a $300 dollar pair of loafers, or a couple of hundred dollars on the perfect pair of jeans.
On the other hand, explains Morales, the female clientele, many of whom are Latina residents of the neighborhood, have far more expansive tastes to cater to.
“Some women are a bit conservative but want to be sexy, others are a bit more extravagant, and some like to keep it simple,” she said pointing at a short sequined dress, a pair of jean shorts, and a lace blouse. Whatever it is, Morales and her husband have designed a boutique that caters to each taste.
According to Morales, her clients are those who like to wear their best threads to a night out, perhaps a dinner celebration, or a party. The men like to impress, and the women like to stand out. In the culture of Northern Manhattan, where everyone likes to look good, the Lounge Couture stands out.
“There is a certain exclusivity factor about the merchandise that is sold in a boutique,” said Morales. “Our products are made for small scale retailers like us, and when our clients come in to shop they can be sure we will help them find the best look, and the best fit. We treat everyone like family.”
It truly is all in the family.
With the foundation laid for success – and happiness – at “Los Taxistas Barbershop” at 10th Avenue over a decade ago, Morales and Balbuena have continued to pave the way, all along 207th Street, towards greater success.
It began with Joan Fashion, and continues today with Lounge Couture, a place where, along with the designer denim, family and hard work are always in fashion.
|
