After discussing how well the women's consignment stores in Atlanta (her hometown) were doing, Pickard packed up everything in her home (she was living in Charleston then) and did the craziest thing she'd ever done: She moved to the Queen City. So, where did the idea come from? A conversation with her mom. Revolve is the only strictly men's consignment store in Charlotte and currently one of only eight stores of its kind on the entire East Coast. The initial storefront location opened in Myers Park in 2009, but she moved to the Dilworth area and has been there for a little more than a year. Revolve was the first fashion and retail venture Pickard embarked on after selling real estate for more than seven years. "We have the happiest customers getting unbelievable bargains and consigners getting paid for something they weren't using," said Castagno.Doesn't it feel great when you take a life-changing risk and it pays off? That was one of the questions I asked Amy Pickard, owner of men's consignment store Revolve (1222 East Blvd.) and women's online boutique Olive ( I wasn't at all surprised when her answer was a resounding "Yes!" Consigners do not need an appointment and can walk in any time. Crew, Eileen Fischer, Akris or Vineyard Vines for women or men. The styles need to be current and the labels need to be designer or better label brands such as Chanel, Louis Vutton, Burberry, J. People can walk in any time without an appointment to shop or consign. Castagno is very selective about the clothing she consigns. People wo have expensive taste wil come ino our store and have no problem buying a Chanel bag from us," said Castagno's daughter and Winchester Store Manager Alisa. "The stigma of consignment is no longer an issue. There are no back-ups which keeps it exciting and interesting, said Castagno. She's helped dress customers for lunch with Obama, the Academy Wards, a red carpet movie opening and much more. The store will grow from 1,500 square feet to 3,000 square feet.Ĭastagno said the secret to her success is making her customers feel comfortable when they shop by creating a welcoming atmosphere and offering personalized, expert service with stylists who can create a look with any budget for any occasion. She plans to break the walls between her current store and the neighboring store on two levels (first floor and basement) and hopes to have the renovation complete in the spring of 2017. The solution: she is going to expand into the neighboring space, former site of Subway, which has been vacant for about a year. in Boston, Castagno said the amount of consignment inventory has expanded so much, she realized the urgent need for additional space in her Belmont Center store. Since opening her store at 262 Newbury St. "This industry is growing faster than any other industry in retail," said Castagno. Today, she said there are customers who tell her they do "Revolve tours," visiting several of her stores in one day. She recalls after being in business in Belmont for just two months, how much her idea was embraced by shoppers in Belmont. Lauren manages the Newbury Street store and Alisa manages the Winchester store. She was a stay-at-home mother with her four children for 18 years and today, two of her daughters, Lauren and Alisa have joined her team. I loved it so much I wanted to bring it to my town," said Castagno as she reflected on the history of her business. "I love designer clothes and found that consignment shopping was a way to have that fabulous wardrobe on a budget. Revolve sells pre-owned designer clothing and accessories, something Castagno has always been very passionate about. Last year, she opened a store on Newbury Street in Boston. In 2013, she opened a store in Winchester Center. In 2012, she opened a store in Lexington Center. She opened a second store in Belmont Center in 2011. 1 marks the seven-year anniversary since Belmont resident Lisa Castagno opened her first Revolve consignment boutique in Cushing Square, Since then, her business has grown from one store to six stores.
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