Every time I wear an item from Feena boutique I get stopped on the street. The bags, the jewelry, hats , shoes etc are all extremely unique and one of a kind. You cannot find these amazing pieces anywhere not even in the fashion capital of the world, New York City. I walk into this store at least once a week, and I never leave without something…. even when I just want to stay hi to Liz the store owner!
Liz and I became fast friends, she is an incredibly talented person with an amazing eye for anything fashion, design and branding. Not only that but her passion for fashion and her Portuguese heritage is infectious! I am so excited that she agreed to be in my first Jersey City Shopping post!
How did you come about opening Feena? “So theres always been a dream of wanting to be connected to fashion and the creative world… from writing to advertising to design. I come from a finance background which was not something I was passionate about so I tried to change careers midway which was very difficult for many reasons…. I decided to wait it out until I could actually do my own thing and incorporate all the parts from decor, writing, advertising and styling which is something I truly do love….and being part of the fashion world.
For me its all about being your own expression, and I think the sky is the limit when it comes to that and I want to share that with people. I want to help people find their own expression and come out of their shell”
How do you like living and working in Jersey City? “Its awesome! I’ve had my eye on Jersey City for more than 10 years….I started working downtown in 2002 , so I was commuting in the area and I was seeing how it was evolving… and I wanted to be a part of it.
I felt it, I sensed it in my bones that this was going to be something really grand… and I wanted to be apart of it. I love it here. I feel at home.
Your stuff is very unique and special! You can’t really find any of the things you sell anywhere else… “So the whole thing was , what can I do to really stand apart? to really offer something different that’s not easily available anywhere else? and I decided to put a little cultural spin on things, use my background ….something that I am really proud of , which is being Portuguese and having a Portuguese heritage. Growing up and being exposed to that culture, products and craftsmanship I realized how little of it was available anywhere else in the world….and how little marketing the country in itself actually had with such amazing quality products.
I would travel there and would bring back shoes or clothes and would immediately get compliments, and asked where I got them. Which put the idea in my mind that there’s got to be a way to merge this small country that my parents are from and that I love so much with my current culture which is here in the states”
Can you tell us a little more about the accessories you sell “Muu is an established company since 2008, leather bags all handmade… its really on par with like a Marc Jacobs here. Its nowhere to be found in the states…. its a company I really wanted to have and its been doing great.
Vista Alegre which is a porcelain, ceramic and crystal company that I carry … also another company that is 200 + years old that I knew I wanted that I could stand by its reputation and be proud of it.
I started to research more independent labels that where more crafty and the price points where also a little more flexible and that way I could offer a little variety of everything from the more luxury splurge to the more independent crafty/artsy item that still looks cool but cultural and has a story behind it.
Awesome. Do you have any favorite accessory, in the store at the moment? “I would have to say the new cork bags I got in, they kind of remind me of the Cambridge satchel from London. I think the design was a little inspired by that…. I love the way that it looks. Its the perfect neutral bag for any season any outfit….”
I love those clutches, so cute.They are amazing…The wear and tear is just as durable if not longer than leather and its eco friendly!
I like that. and what are your style inspirations? My mom is a huge one, she’s always been a sassy lady and I didn’t realize it … I went through that teenage period where I was like mom what are you wearing….
Didn’t we all? but looking back, I wish she would of held on to some of those things because I definitely would of rocked them …And I realize how much cooler she was now then I did a couple years ago. She played a huge role in me , being such a risk taker and experimenting with styles.
Do you have a celebrity favorite? I love Sarah Jessica Parker… talk about risk taker… she nails it. I would probably emulate a couple of the things she …. Im a huge fan of Audrey Hepburn, classic, chic, feminine, I love her…. Audrey is a good example of my everyday style something comfortable but chic. and Sarah Jessica Parker is my rocker I want to have fun style…”
Do you sell items from local designers here in Jersey City? Yes, low and behold, Jersey City being so fabulous has amazing and creative talent and I was so blessed to have so many of them walk through the door and introduce themselves because its so hard to find a lot of them. They started showing me their pieces, and i loved it. 40 % of what I carry is from local designers.
Can you drop some names? well there is Boheme Dreams.
Oh she was one of my Stylish Peeps! Yeah she was the first actually! she’s been here from the beginning. Love the style, awesome little fun accessories. I have Arjen Supply which actually is Boheme dreams boyfriend haha. Awesome, leather accessories for Men…
Marz Gems, Natasha, Hazel Richards… I have some kid products of local designers. Myrtle & Flossie ….I am definitely leaving out a few.
What’s next for the store? I would say the next step is really just bringing up the game in the whole branding and creating more of the Feena boutique product. We have the candles and fragrances but I would like to really produce a collection by Feena for Feena and go from there. and really focus on the branding.
So your next step is designer? yes exploring a little design on my own is definitely the next step…..
So…. I think I would like to put everything I tried on, on layaway….See you tomorrow Liz!
Instagram: feenaboutique
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