Monday, February 4, 2008

Denton Alter Ego Vintage offers one of a kind fashion

By Minnie Payne

DENTON — The store, Alter Ego Vintage, 809 N. Locust, Denton, was bustling on a spring-like Saturday afternoon. A customer from Seattle who had made a purchase Friday returned to buy a pair of vintage plaid slacks for her daughter. A middle-aged couple bought a hand-crafted sterling silver necklace. Others were browsing and contemplating. The clerks were busy.

Joanna Bellomy, 28-year-old owner, opened the Locust Street location one year and nine months ago. Prior to that Alter Ego Vintage was located at 118 Fry Street for two years.

“I had always been a vintage shopper and dreamed of owning a vintage store some day,” she said. “I like the idea of not having two items just alike.”

Bellomy started laying the foundation to be a savvy business woman as a child.

“My mom left my dad when I was eight years old, and we went from being middle to upper class income to low income overnight,” she said. “Mom shopped for our clothes in thrift stores.”

She said as she grew older and started working, she shopped vintage/thrift stores.

“Mom was a great example for me, in that she showed me that we could survive and improve our lives,” she said. “Because she [mom] was unskilled, she cleaned toilets at night for Partner Insurance and worked herself into a receptionist position through a temp agency, promoting to upper management.”

Alter Ego Vintage is not a consignment store, she said, other than she permits nine independent artists who make anything from jewelry, purses, bags, paper and fabric goods, woodworking, and cut and sew cards to sell their crafts in her store. Those artists are:

• Handmade Julz

• Cut out n Collect

• Audrey Well

• Jill Bliss

• Paired-Down – Alter Ego exclusive

• Riche Biche - necklaces, bracelets, earrings

• Lalatricity

• Madera Designs

• Salmingo

“One of the main reasons I opened my store was to try to encourage young people by letting them know that they can make money off their crafts and be independent,” she said. “Society is taught to get a degree so that you can get a good job with the security of insurance and a 401k plan.

“That’s all well and true, but I find that extremely stifling.”

And even though she didn’t get a degree, the Art Institute of Dallas is where she obtained a vast amount of training, she said.

“I learned how to sew and pattern make,” she said. “I had all the knowledge I needed to start a business, and I had worked 10 years as a bartender, saving my money, so I took the plunge.

“I still bartend 20 hours a week at two different places.”

She said that she doesn’t buy from individuals, but rather large vendors, traveling all over the United States, Canada, Mexico and Europe trying to find the perfect merchandise for her customers.

“The people who spend the most money with me are definitely 17 to 28 years old, and the most popular thing I sell is ladies’ dresses,” she said.

Merchandise is priced per piece - what she thinks the item is worth, and what the going-vintage price is, she said.

“I know what my customers like and price accordingly,” she said.

Elizabeth Fitzpatrick, a customer, works for the Denton ISD and said that she wears a lot of vintage clothes.

“Joanna has an amazing sense of style and an unusual way of putting things together that is unique,” she said. “Her sense of what customers want is also amazing. If something doesn’t look good on me, she will tell me.

“Her merchandise appeals to me style wise, and I’m just really pleased that I have her in Denton.”

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• Arts and Crafts