Passion for Fashion

~Marnie Zoa

Photography by Sally Sheldon, Pink Caterpillar Photogaphy

You will need more than a glance to take in Nancy Kneisel and her three fabulous downtown resale boutiques.  Nancy is the owner of Second Glance, The Annex and The Alley, providing affordable fashion for people of all walks of life.  Second Glance has been recycling fashion in its current location since 1984.  It caters to adult woman and has a quality selection of business, casual and evening wear.  The Annex caters to girls and young women and the Alley sells fashion for Men.

Photography by Sally Sheldon, Pink Caterpillar Photogaphy

Nancy is among the ground-breakers of the Consignment lifestyle.  Certainly she built the foundation for recycled clothing here in Corvallis.  Her passion for fashion, attention to detail and dedication to her family created a legacy to be proud of.  As a highly consumer based culture, it is responsible and practical to have a place to bring your gently used clothing and earn credit towards breathing new life into your wardrobe.

Nancy’s parents were hard workers, but they were not wealthy.  They were determined to put Nancy and her sister through college.  This would mean the girls had to work in order to earn money to buy anything extra they wanted.  Luckily their mother was a home economics teacher.   She taught them to rely on their own creativity and a sewing machine for clothing growing up.  Although her mother had taught her to sew well, it was never quite the same as the fashion Nancy noticed in the stores and catalogues.  She may have noticed the difference, but it didn’t bring her down.  She was happy for what she had and grateful for her parents sacrifice.  Clearly her childhood and the dedicated resourcefulness of her parents  was influential in Nancy’s ultimate success.

Photography by Sally Sheldon, Pink Caterpillar Photogaphy

It was on the first day of College at Pacific University that Nancy met her husband Gary.  Practically love at first site they dated for a few years and then married.  Money was tight starting out, just as it had always been for Nancy.  It mattered little because they were deeply in love and soon they started a family.  Being a wife and mother was truly fulfilling for Nancy.  She described the birth of her first daughter passionately “it felt like a miracle.  A real life changer.  I could see that there was a bigger world than me and that what I did had a bigger purpose.”  Inspired by parenthood, Nancy and Gary soon had a second daughter.  Life was glorious, but they both had to work to make ends meet.  An executive secretary at OSU’s Geophysics Department, Nancy had the flexibility to go home and tend to the girls regularly.

One day a girlfriend invited Nancy down to Eugene to visit her workplace – a resale store called Rags to Riches.  She asked Gary for a little cash so that she could support her friend by buying a little something from her if she could. Gary handed her $40 and hoped it would enough.  Nancy was about to have another life changing experience.  As soon as she walked in the door she spotted the exact designer handbag she had been coveting on sale for only $18.  She left Rags and Riches that day with 4 new outfits and a handbag she thought she could only dream of owning.  All the following week at work people commented on her new outfits. It was a revelation for Nancy.  “Why aren’t there more places like this. What a worthwhile enterprise”

Photography by Sally Sheldon, Pink Caterpillar Photogaphy

At the time, Nancy had no thought of being a business owner.  Her family duties were primary in her heart.  She and Gary travelled away from Corvallis for his job, but soon came home, realizing it was the place they wanted to settle and raise their family.  Upon returning to Corvallis, Nancy had to ask herself if she wanted to go back to work at OSU.  Over the past year she had been practising buying clothes, repairing, washing and reselling  – she had found that she was good at it.  She was passionate about fashion and finding a way to help provide for her family.  They took a leap of faith and Second Glance was born.

A lot of hard work went into educating the community about what a consignment store was and how valuable it could be.  She ran into a lot of suspicion and doubt.  Unfazed, Nancy resilience and vision brought her success.  Her innovative concept caught on quickly and the store was instantly profitable.  She continues to work hard keeping Second Glance a special place to shop, where you are almost certain to find something quality that you love and can afford.  Very discerning about her inventory -she watches what sells closely and adjusts as needed.  Nancy attributes the enduring quality of the store to the fact that she carries something for everyone. “. She feels there will always be a need for her service and people to appreciate the concept of consignment fashion.

Photography by Sally Sheldon, Pink Caterpillar Photogaphy

4 years ago Nancy was drawn to a great retail space that opened up around the corner.  She looked carefully at Second Glance and asked herself who she wasn’t serving.  That is when The Annex was born.  She recruited her daughter Jessica, with a degree in fashion merchandising and a fantastic work history including an internship at a resale shop in Louisiana and a  great job at Nordstrom’s.  No doubt inspired by her Mothers passion for fashion, Jessica was the perfect fit to launch and run The Annex.  With a mission to provide affordable and fashion forward clothing options for young women, they were an instant success.  Although their focus is in teens and tweens, I must confess, I shop at The Annex too.  It makes me feel like I am shopping at a couture boutique in Portland or NYC.  The annex has enjoyed a similar level of success as Second Glance and we can hope it will also share its longevity.

Photography by Sally Sheldon, Pink Caterpillar Photogaphy

Young women weren’t the only missing piece in Nancy’s fashion puzzle.  Men need affordable stylish clothing too.  Another opportunity to rent a retail space nearby came up last year and Nancy took it.  She told me proudly about The Alley and its talented young manager Justin.  Men’s options for shopping are severely limited compared to what women enjoy.  I am thrilled that Nancy decided to open The Alley.   Another new exciting development this fall is Haunted Alley…a Halloween resale shop.  Wondering for years where all the fabulous costumes went after being worn just once, Nancy decided to offer resale costumes starting this October.  Haunted Alley will be located in “The Back Alley” this October.  Call or visit any one of the stores to donate costumes or find out more.

Nancy has some great pieces of advice to share with our women readers or perhaps anyone who is considering becoming a business owner.  “All successful people seek help.”. She goes on to explain that you cannot rely on the support of your friends alone.  You must seek out even the toughest advice to swallow.  Nancy also wanted us to understand that “You can’t have it all.  Something will give and that’s ok.” she spoke often of her daughters and what it meant to provide for them, teach them and spend time with them.  I thought of my own struggle as a business owner and Mother and was inspired by her advice.  I think most of us could probably learn to let a few things go.

I found it invigorating talking to Nancy about fashion and her vision for the stores.  I have been a long  time fan and now I have a deeper understand of the owner, her motivation and the importance of the overall mission.  Next time you are downtown stop by and visit one if not all three of these great stores.  Nancy and her team would love to meet you.

Erica Widony of Revolve and I recently had a super fun photo shoot at her lovely store on Second Street in Downtown Corvallis. As one of my favourite locals, it was really a treat!

Photography by Kristin Hayes, Kristin Hayes Photography

Here’s what she had to say ~
Q ~ Tell me about yourself and why you decided to start Re·volve. How long have you been in business?

re·volve is really the culmination of a dream shared by me and my sister. We had been casually brainstorming business ideas for a couple of years, and it was important to us that whatever we did would reflect our community’s commitment to social responsibility and environmental sustainability. I’d been in management for nine years and decided that it was time to make a change, and it so happened that my Mom and Grandma mentioned considering opening some sort of resale store around that same time. After lots of research and a huge leap, I decided that this was absolutely the right thing to do! It was a whirlwind eight months from conception to opening; the idea was hatched in October of 2010 and we opened in June of 2011.

Q ~ Can you tell me about your special products/offerings and what makes your store unique?

Our mission is to provide a comfortable and thoughtful consignment boutique with inventory that makes quality and designer clothing fit most budgets, and it was extremely important that the shop be accessible for people of all abilities with spacious dressing rooms and adequate space between racks. My sister uses a wheelchair and so I know from personal experience how limited the options are for shopping resale if you’re not able-bodied! We are committed to normalizing the experience and getting creative to keep it that way as the business grows. We are big on supporting local causes and so our Baubles That Benefit program addresses that ~ if a customer opts not to use one of our bags for their purchase, we give them a bauble worth 5¢ to put in one of three jars, each representing a local non-profit, that we tally and then donate to every four months or so. It’s so neat to see how one little bauble can add up so quickly and impact our community in such a positive way. We also like to sell wearable art crafted by local artists. It’s really great to give them a platform to put their art out into the community and beyond!

Photography by Kristin Hayes, Kristin Hayes Photography

Q ~ Where were you born and how did you wind up in lovely little Corvallis?

I was born in Santa Monica, California, moved to Corvallis when I was almost two, and I’ve been here ever since! I went to school K-12 here and after a brief stint at LBCC I decided that the working world was a more compatible teacher for my learning style than a classroom. I’ve worked as a receptionist, a barista, in customer service, and as salon manager, all of which in their own way gave me the skills and confidence to own a business.

Photography by Kristin Hayes, Kristin Hayes Photography

Q ~ What are your favourite things about being a business owner?

I LOVE interacting with all sorts of people, getting to know them and hearing their stories. Over the past year I’ve learned that it can be hard for people to part with their clothing, for whatever reason, so it?s an honor to help transition them to being freed by the things that no longer suit them. It?s equally exciting to see when someone comes in and falls in love with a piece and brings life back to it. It?s a celebration and I feel honored that I get to be the medium for that process.

Q ~ So, what is your family like?

I am so lucky to have the family I do! It’s just my Mom, Dad, Sister and myself here in Oregon, and even though my extended family is sprinkled all over they’ve been incredibly supportive. There has been a lot of sweat equity and hours of research put in to re·volve, and we’ve all put in time. We work well together and complement each other.

Q ~ Tell me about your hobbies.

Honestly, re·volve is my hobby! Running and growing a relatively new small business takes up most of my time. It might sound cliché, but change is constant and because there is always something new to learn at this stage I find the challenge stimulating and exciting.

Photography by Kristin Hayes, Kristin Hayes Photography

The Cosmic Concept
~Marnie Zoa

The moment you walk by the Cosmic Chameleon on 2^nd Street in downtown Corvallis you will know it’s not just another clothing store.  The artful and sometimes fantastical wares are a sight to behold.  Looking more closely you can find treasures of many kinds and not just speciality items.  The shoe selection is amazing and there are plenty of fashion staples to be found on it’s enticing racks.

Photography by Kristin Hayes, Kristin Hayes Photography

Nikki Marshall and Joyelle Petersen are the owners of Cosmic Chameleon -  They were celebrating their 3 three year opening anniversary the day of our interview.  I have been shopping at the store over the past three years and each visit I noticed a unique culture developing.   Nikki and Joyelle have a clear vision for Cosmic Chameleon and it shines brightly in the inventory and environment.  They encourage everyone they come across to feel good about themselves and that is reflected in their slogan “forever changing, forever you”.

Nikki and Joyelle’s friendship began in Portland 12 years ago.  They instantly recognized kindred spirits in one another.  They each had a young child born just 9 days apart, a love of fashion and countless other things in common.  Early in their friendship they enjoyed dressing up friends and their children, shopping and looking for treasures together.  This hobby of costuming their community grew naturally into the concept of a resale store.  Once the idea hit them all their needs manifested themselves.  Displays, inventory and even a great space became available and the Cosmic Chameleon was born.

Photography by Kristin Hayes, Kristin Hayes Photography

As I have said, this is not a typical resale shop.  It is typical in that it offers gently used fashion for sale.  They do take in clothing and other items for credit at the store as well and offer goods made by over 60 local artisans.  They accept items on Tuesdays and encourage everyone to come show them what delightful items you have to offer.  The difference is in the inventory and atmosphere.  The store is a fashion art masterpiece.  I am drawn in by the playful displays and extraordinary merchandise.  It can be hard to find truly unique fashion, but that is not the case inside the Cosmic Chameleon.  It can be particularly difficult for people of so-called alternative sizes to find fun and unique clothes that fit them well.  Nikki and Joyelle place an important focus on offering items for everyone, including men and children and “goddess size”.  They have a delightful inventory of costumes as well.  These ladies love to treasure hunt.  70% of their inventory comes from their hunting adventures. Tell them what you are looking for, if they don’t have it, they are sure to find it for you in no time.  Fashion seems to be cosmically drawn to them.

Photography by Kristin Hayes, Kristin Hayes Photography

Joyelle and Nikki have embraced Corvallis.  They give to many local charities through fashion shows and clothing donations.  They are grateful to be part of the downtown community and no doubt contribute to it in many ways.  Corvallis has been good to them too.  Word of mouth is their best means of advertising.  They love to dress local bands and spread the word about their awesome funky fashions through the power of music.  They also dress people up and send them around town with coupons to get the word out.  Joyelle and Nikki think it is important to support local enterprise like Womyncentric Magazine. Just another great example of strategic partnerships in action.

Last year Nikki and Joyelle each had a little girl, just 2 months apart. Adding to their families and running the store together has its challenges but their friendship has remained strong.  Part of the culture of the store is the focus on family.  Children and mothers are always welcome and the girls are often at the store with their Mom’s.  Nick and Joyelle expressed gratitude for their patient and loyal customers.  Sometimes people have had to wait while the children are taken care of.  In a community culture the ladies feel that is ok and their customers agree.  As I sat an interviewed Joyelle and Nikki, customers accumulated, waiting to buy, sell or trade their wares.  They waited patiently and listened as we chatted and took pictures.  I could feel the comradery and the relaxed accepting vibe that Joyelle and Nikki have created.

I asked each of them to offer some advice and insight.  Nikki shared “be true – be real – be open – be honest”. Joyelle had a similar sentiment “keep open communication with your customers, partners and friends”.  I appreciate that advice, as difficult as it may feel at times to confront or express.   In my own life, open honest communication has been one of the big a keys to happiness.   They also both stressed the importance of family and maintaining balance between your business and home life.  I see their focus balance in action when I am in the store and proud to recognize it many of the other local business women I have interviewed.

Take a deep breath, think happy thoughts and go into the cosmic chameleon.  Find yourself something special and take some time to absorb the atmosphere.  There is something hidden around every corner, treasures abound.  Visit with Joyelle or Nikki and see for yourself the micro culture of artful fashion self expression they have created.