Clothing in rich colors cover the exterior walls with sweaters, soft to the touch, folded amidst eclectic jewelry on sharp-edged tables. Upbeat contemporary music echoes throughout the boutique and behind the cash register. Waiting to greet you is a friendly face ushering you into a sophisticated world of fashion situated on 612 Davis St., just blocks off campus.
“This one I did on my own,” says Gina Vericella, the 25-year-old owner of gigi BOTTEGA, her second boutique in two years.
After graduating from Ole Miss in 2009 with a major in graphic design and a minor in mass communications, she moved back to her hometown in Bloomington, Ill. In October that year, with the support of her parents and a distinct vision, Vericella’s dream became a success as she opened her first boutique, gigi BOTTEGA, a fusion of her nickname Gigi, from Gina, and the Italian word for boutique, “bottega.” Vericella’s vision for the store was to “cater towards the contemporary woman” with “customer-friendly prices. You’re not going to go broke buying one sweater,” she said.
But after almost two years, she was looking for a change, but didn’t want to sacrifice her dream job.
“I wanted to move up here to kind of expand the boutique. I wanted to get out of Bloomington, too,” Vericella said. “So I went around to a couple different suburbs and then I just fell in love with Evanston because Northwestern’s here, it’s close to the city, there’s a lot going on down here, lots of young people,”
With her mother managing the Bloomington boutique, Vericella was excited to expand her business in a college town. She initially recognized the need for “going out” clothes that boutiques offered for college-age women when she was at Ole Miss. For most, navigating entrepreneurship could be a daunting task, but it was one that Vericella tackled seemingly without effort.
“You need to know your market,” she said. “You have to supply things that are going to sell. So many people open stores and don’t know who they’re selling to and what price point people want to buy at, and that’s where people go under.”
And it’s obvious that Vericella knows the formula for success. For Vericella, it’s all work and all play. She travels to Las Vegas and into Chicago to the merchandise market to pick out the inventory for the store and satiates her online shopping addiction by browsing vendors’ websites. With a passion for fashion, spending every day doing what you love seems like a pretty good deal.
Vericella describes her own style as contemporary, but still traditional, with lots of black. Classic and wearable looks are her favorite, especially when they have a fashion-forward twist. The store is definitely an extension of her personal style with clean and classic pieces that make fashionistas go weak in the knees, and even at affordable prices.
“I think just being in the fashion industry (inspires me). I am just obsessed with everything fashion, I am constantly looking online at new trends and styles. The big designers and up-and-coming people,” Vericella said. “That just inspires me to want to grow my business and keep building and do other things, not only operate and own this, but venture out into the fashion world.”
With one successful boutique already under her belt and another one on the rise, Vericella has not ruled out more expansion in the future, throwing around ideas of catering to more fashion-forward college women and even Florida further down the road.
Though the Evanston gigi BOTTEGA opened its doors in July, there will be a faux grand opening celebration tomorrow from 5 to 7 p.m. The boutique will be showcasing the season’s trends alongside complimentary food and beverage, discounts at the store and gift cards to Salon Lotus.
– Alyssa Clough
