in a few weeks, i will celebrate 10 years in the crazy/fun/hellish business called retail. i started in november 2002, 1 year after the tragic events of 9.11. it was tough times, the economy wasn’t good. but i decided to go for it, as i had a dream. i dreamed that i would have a beautiful shop, show and sell my own designs and other lines. which is what i did.
my original shop, on 15th street and i-25 in denver, was like a dream come true. i had space for my shop, my studio, storage, living space, fashion shows. and my sweet cat, vincent, was very happy there. we loved it. we were there for 8 1/2 years until due to the economy and a slow street for retail, we moved to a new space two blocks away on platte street. the new space, much smaller, was exciting because it was located next to a non-profit gallery that was devoted to community. it was called The Other Side Arts.
the new neighborhood was also bustling. it was filled with lots of independent shops and restaurants. in only a year and a half, though, a few of those stores have either closed or moved. the new business that people are flocking to now is denver beer company – and indeed they are expanding. one of the buildings on the block has been bought by a corporate restaurant chain and there are rumors of a new restaurant or deli opening there. the gallery next door has closed their doors.
after 10 years, i’m feeling an itch to move on. having my petite shop has been a great thing for my life. i’ve met tons of people and made lots of friends and have been privileged to observe and be a part of my customers’ lives. lucky girl, that’s me.
still, there have been many, many moments of difficulty. the economy took my business down a lot, and sometimes it was all i could do to stay positive about my business and my designs. it’s hard for a creative person to not be sensitive to happenings around them. in fact, it’s part of our job. we have to be sensitive to be good at what we do. but along with that, if less people want what you do, you start to take it personally. even if you know better.
and i do. so i’ve gone along, reinventing my business in small ways. i’ve done custom design, emphasized accessories, added gifts, etc. now i’m ready to go back to my artist roots and have found a studio in the 5 Points area of Denver to share with 4 other artists whose work i truly admire and respect. they are: christopher perez, david zimmer, lauri lynnxe murphy and jimmy sellars. in the case of jimmy, a circle has been completed, as our first studios were actually next to each other in a warehouse behind coors field (circa 1996). i can only say that i believe this move is going to be more significant for my career than the move to platte street. i plan on continuing my design work, blogging, selling online and to other boutiques and creating art.
time. this word has become more important to me in this year. people measure success in different ways. some would say making a lot of money is a measure of success. for me, i realize that i want time above all else. time to use for my art and the people i love. and so that is what i look forward to most in this next phase of my business and my life.
p.s. i will be at my shop at 1644 platte street for one final holiday season – my last day is december 23rd. please stay tuned for events coming up!
xoXXoO,
mona lucero
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