Creative spirit, designs fuel Shoppe Pioneer

INTERNATIONAL FLAIR:  Natalie Morello, right, owner of Shoppe  Pioneer in Providence, helps Kelsey Cregg pick out clothing by a Spanish designer. / PBN PHOTO/ MICHAEL  SALERNO
INTERNATIONAL FLAIR: Natalie Morello, right, owner of Shoppe Pioneer in Providence, helps Kelsey Cregg pick out clothing by a Spanish designer. / PBN PHOTO/ MICHAEL SALERNO

When Natalie Morello left New York City to open Shoppe Pioneer, a women’s fashion and lifestyle boutique, in Providence in 2011, it was her first time in the Ocean State.

Through her prior job as a sales manager, she knew there wouldn’t be much competition in the local boutique market and the state had a demographic that she felt could work to her advantage.

“It had all of the things that I thought were important,” Morello said. “It had really low competition, lower rents, and it had the demographic to be able to survive.”

She left New York to get away from a hectic work schedule that had her managing clothing brands across the country and traveling every other week. She decided she wanted more control over her life and work.

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“I’ve always had a really creative eye,” she said. “I think I very much [also] have an entrepreneurial spirit.”

She’s put those attributes to work in a South Main Street shop that offers up a unique shopping experience to its customers. In its five years of operation, the business has appealed to a large demographic. Morello identifies her customer base as ranging in age from mid-20s and older, and that the most common visitor she sees is “the college student’s mother.”

Morello, 35, describes the primary style of clothing she sells as versatile and different from what one would find at a department store. The pieces she sells can be worn to work or on a night out. She likens her store to Anthropologie, but more affordable.

During her 10 years working in fashion sales in New York, Morello acquired an abundance of knowledge in how to find quality products at an affordable cost. She knows designers, many of whom are popular in Europe, with beautiful clothing that aren’t as expensive as some of the more commonly known designers in the United States.

As a result, Morello has been able to sell her clothing at what she considers reasonable prices. Most the clothing in her store sells for under $150, with a maximum of $200.

“I still buy designers that nobody else has in Rhode Island. I still buy a lot of international designer stuff,” Morello said. “They’re not your typical, run-of-the-mill … labels.”

After moving to Rhode Island, Morello learned quickly that the culture was a bit different from that in New York City. When it came time to put herself out there, she felt as though she was not aligning well with what she calls the “Rhode Island mentality.” She said that little things like paying a parking meter were just a fact of life in day-to-day New York City, but for Rhode Islanders, it is not as common. She thinks that has hurt her business some by limiting the people she has visiting and shopping at the boutique.

“The only thing I would have done differently is really understood that Rhode Island mentality,” Morello said. “I would have probably plugged myself [into it] a little bit better, so that it didn’t feel like I was always going against the grain.”

Morello’s involvement in the community, however, has helped her better understand her customers and counteract lingering issues with parking.

Being brand new to the Ocean State, she looked to her fellow business owners and neighbors to create a sense of belonging for herself there. She networked with local neighborhood and women’s groups and put herself out there in the community.

“I want there to be a reason to come shop with me,” Morello said. “I want you to be with me, this is who I am, what I have to offer.”

Today, Morello runs the South Main Street Neighborhood Association and still maintains a presence in the surrounding area. She says that she has made some of the best friends she’s ever had, as well as business connections that have helped her make the transition from New York.

Morello has aspirations to create a New England fashion hub based in Providence.

One idea she is considering is kick-starting a wholesale fashion market in the state, as well as creating a fashion showroom.

Her hope would be to make the showroom a place for New Englanders to see the work of fashion designers in New York, without having to actually drive there.

“I love Providence so much and I think that it has so much potential as a secondary city,” Morello said. “We want to bring other aspects of the fashion world to Providence.” •

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