We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Melissa Kanarek. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Melissa below.
Hi Melissa, thanks for joining us today. Do you take vacations? Why or why not?
Because travel is such a massive part of my life for the last 25 years, having it be a part of my business was mandatory. Having a brick & mortar means that my travels always have a work component in sourcing. Wherever I find myself in the world, I am able to reach beyond the touristic sights and really immerse myself in the culture. Sourcing has taken me from the souks of Marrakech, to the basket weavers of Bolgatanga, the antique markets in Tokyo, the potters of Sejnane and silversmithing in America’s West, to name a few. It is a global education that I never tire of. I tried doing relaxing ‘book on a beach’ vacations but I don’t have single cell in my body that can sit still so my ‘vacations’ aren’t for everyone.
Melissa, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
My career path has not been a straight line. The design/fashion really began in London in the early 2000’s where I became a trained traditional upholsterer and began as an apprentice for a couture upholsterer. We basically created gowns for furniture and could be seen in everywhere from the pages of Vogue to the windows of Liberty’s in London. 20 something years later and I’m still captivated by antiques and the story of a products’ evolution. I have three branches of my current business: BTC (Brass Tack Collection) where I source bolts of deadstock fabric and make clothing in a Los Angeles sew house. The line is very country meets city and are classic pieces, generally one sized that I think clients reach for most frequently when dressing. Secondly is the SYCC or Santa Ynez Country Club with the tagline “all country, no club” it embraces the spirit of ranch living in horse and wine country. This line launches Oct 2023 and beyond the merch, will also include of favorite things to do, see, taste, explore when visiting as well as full social calendar (no membership required) to participate in. Lastly is our collection of vintage & preworn clothing available in the shop and online come 2024.
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
I opened my second version of Brass Tack once we moved to the Santa Ynez Valley. The original store was lifestyle with a home goods concentration and this next store was going to be new clothing & apparel. I did the New York Fashion Week and markets with reps in Los Angeles, New York and Paris. After two seasons, I couldn’t do it anymore. It felt to me like an incredibly outdated model. The minimums were incredibly high, the seasons were coming too frequently and there wasn’t a particular brand that was interesting enough to buy deep in or continue devoting tens of thousands of dollars to. It might’ve made sense in large department stores and when online shopping wasn’t what it is today but it is no longer a modern or viable model. Boutique shopping must posess something you can’t more easily click to buy. As soon as the brands lines were hitting the racks, it was only a few weeks before they were discounting them and moving onto their next season. This pace didn’t work for me and it was never how I actually shopped anyways so I had to think about how I shop, what I want to wear and how it affects the earth. Fashion waste is CRAZY terrible. I didn’t feel good being a part of the machine. I pivoted to offer vintage and preworn goods along with my deadstock fabric line of classic pieces. I think it creates a more interesting shopping experience and that is being reflected in the analytics of the shop through our sales and repeat customer figures.
Do you have any insights you can share related to maintaining high team morale?
Energy is everything and I only surround myself with naturally positive, energetic individuals. Fashion is meant to be fun so we don’t take ourselves seriously (no egos, no throwing my purse at anyone when I arrive). I work hard and am happy to mop, get everyone coffee, etc so it’s all hands on deck. Someone without hustle or drive, won’t do well in our environment because we do move fast and work hard. One of the biggest things about a boutique store is that you are there for the community. The big bank account lady is just as important as the lonely elderly woman that comes in once a week just to have human interaction. There is no pressure to purchase once through our doors and you will always get an honest answer about fit and if a piece you are trying on is best for you. I think energy begets energy and we just seem to have the greatest team AND greatest customers. It’s a pleasure to open those doors every day. That doesn’t mean tough conversations don’t have to happen and sometimes people aren’t the right fit and choose to leave or are let go. It’s similar to dating but once you’ve got the right partners and good support, anything is possible.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.brasstackstudio.com
- Instagram: @brass_tack