Things
are rough for independent business owners this year. With the department stores
offering major markdowns, our local businesses are working hard to keep afloat.
Most recently, Danielle Loukataris, owner of Divine Finds moved her vintage
clothing shop to Hertel Avenue after a brief stay on Elmwood. Loukataris has the talent, the business
mindset, and the work ethic to make things work for herself and her unique
shop.
“The
key to my success is time management,” says Loukataris. And truly, if time management were a
super power, Loukataris would be the master of it. It’s not easy being a single mother, a business owner and a
Broadway and film custom designer, all rolled into one. So the economy was not
the only reason Loukataris made the move onto Hertel; she was having trouble
keeping the store hours.
“Being
on Elmwood, I had to keep the store open for longer hours, and being a single
mom it became really hard,” Loukataris says. “Now I have afternoon hours ’till 3, then I pick up my
kids, hang out with them, then come back to work at 6.” Although the store has a local
following, a majority of Loukataris’ business is done online. “There have been more rentals,
especially now, holiday cocktail season.
People want to look good but don’t want to spend the money on a dress
they’ll wear only once or twice,” Loukataris explains.
When
asked if she has a favorite era, she responds, “I love the 50’s! There were so many beautiful
silhouettes that make you feel so girly and elegant.” When asked who her own personal favorite designer is,
Loukataris quickly replies, “Chanel! It’s classic. Everyone copies what Chanel does. I love vintage Chanel, I’ve seen it,” she quickly adds, “not
here in Buffalo–in New York, London and L.A., but I know it exists here. I’ve heard about it.” Loukataris talks about the designer’s
pieces as though they’re an urban legend.
Fashion gossip about who has vintage Chanel in their basements here in Buffalo?
Loukataris is in on the secret.
A
brilliant businesswoman, Loukataris assessed her clientele and decide to
reallocate her expenses into building a better website instead of using it to
keep a store on Elmwood. “Elmwood
has a great storefront, but after being there, it was harder and harder to
manage the storefront and photograph and post pictures of the dresses onto the
Internet. I ended up with all these fabulous dresses hidden in the backroom,”
she laments. Because each vintage
piece is one-of-a-kind, Loukataris and her interns have to take the time to
photograph every single piece that comes into the store. The Hertel location gives Loukataris
more space for storage, and at the same time, allows her to have a manageable
store.
Divine
Finds is a survivor because of the online community Loukataris has created on
the web. She understands the important role the Internet plays in her business,
and it expands her customer base from little old’ Buffalo, to fans around the
world. Loukataris provides vintage
clothes for Hollywood films and Broadway shows, and she also brought it upon
herself to provide the most customs for the annual World’s Largest Disco
Party. “There was a lot of polyester,”
Loukataris jokes.
Recently,
Loukataris has been pulling a lot of her cocktail dresses and featuring them
online and in her store, in order to provide women with that perfect little
dress for a holiday party or two.
Prom is another event that attracts many shoppers. Because the dresses at Divine Finds are
all unique, girls can avoid the nightmare of showing up to prom with the same
dress as someone else.
If
all of this is not enough, Loukataris also works with the internship programs
of local schools. Whether it
involves learning about fabrics, restoring vintage clothes, maintaining a
business or photographing fashion, Loukataris welcomes interns who are willing
to work hard and learn a lot. She
says, “I don’t just accept fashion students. Students of any major are welcome.”
“I’ve
moved a lot, but things change.
Even if you have everything planned out, things are different when you
get there,” she says. Loukataris
is optimistic about her new place.
“I’m heading in a new direction. Yeah, things are tough–but it’ll get better.”
1201
Hertel Avenue
Buffalo, NY 14216
716.332.2807
divinefinds.com