One such local business is Sugartown Vintage Boutique, owned and operated by Ashley Drewes. It's a funky establishment located in the heart of town, and I'm proud to announce that I'll be appearing there on Sunday, February 13 for a special event known as "Eat Your Heart Out"! There will a photo shoot happening, and a makeup demo given by your truly, so come down if you have the chance. In the meantime, I took some time out to chat with Ashley all about her store and the upcoming event...
Captain Cruella: First of all, thank you for taking the time out to chat with me about your fantastic little place.
Ashley Drewes: It's my pleasure!
Cruella: As someone who is a former shop owner, I'm always interested in finding out what exactly drives someone to open a shop. So why Sugartown Vintage Boutique, and WHY Saugerties?Ashley: I grew up in Saugerties. It's my home, and I always wanted it to be cool. But it was actually always really boring. I left town at my first opportunity, but when fate brought me back, I knew I had to make the most of it. And lucky for me, Saugerties has started to get really cool--even being rated one of the top coolest small towns in the country! There's so many new shops and restaurants. And I wanted to be a part of it, this cool change. The name Sugartown was born from Saugerties.
When many of my contemporaries left Saugerties, the people they met out in the world couldn't spell or pronounce "Saugerties" so I often heard Saugerties lovingly called "Sugartown." I thought "that's perfect!" Because it reflects my love for this town, and it's kinda groovy.
Cruella: What's been the biggest challenge in running this shop so far, and how have you tried to market yourself so you can stand out in the crowd of boutiques in "Sugartown"?
Ashley: My biggest challenge was figuring out my niche. And truthfully, I don't think I've found it yet. So my next attempt was just to please everybody. I wanted to have a shop that was accessible to men and women of all sizes, and also to have unique gifts and accessories. And I wanted it to be affordable. I wanted to feature the creative talents of my friends and local craftspeople. And I think I've started doing all of that, and as time goes on, my inventory grows to continue meeting those goals.
Ashley: Thank you!
Cruella: You are most welcome ghoulie! So talk to me about "Eat Your Heart Out" being held in your shop on February 13, and tell me what was the reason and the inspiration behind it all.
Ashley: When I was a kid, my favorite thing was to have a "dress up party." And I still to this day love getting dressed up with my friends for various events, and then having those photos as proof that I clean up nice! I thought what better way to introduce my store then to invite the world to come in and try on all the funky threads. Having you in attendance to do a makeup demo with Rock A Betty is just the most delicious icing on that cake. And having a photographer there means flattering photos for all.
Cruella: I am truly excited to sink my teeth into the makeup demo and clothe myself in some new threads for the event!
Ashley: Me too! You'd make a great mod zombie!
Cruella: Surely you jest ghoulie, and the boutique no doubt will help me achieve this look!
So for the record we have a photographer, Mr. Jd Fielding in attendance to shoot for several hours, McKinsey from RABB with make up samples, Brian Solomon of the Vault of Horror coming to cover the event, as well as myself doing makeup demonstrations and clothing modeling.
Ashley: Yay, Brian's coming!
Cruella: So much going on from 1 pm to 3 pm! And I know, this motley crew of "events" folks is quite outstanding right? What else can one expect on this day from the SVB?
Ashley: Well, there will be an opportunity to sample the LEAP Organics Skin Care & Soap line sold at Sugartown--the only shop in the area to carry this line, in fact!
Cruella: Zomberiffic!
Ashley: Also, I've been knocking on my neighbors' doors here in Saugerties, to see if any fellow shop owners have samples, coupons, etc. to add to the mix--truth be told, it remains a surprise even to me what we'll have to give away!
But I promise everyone's going to have a blast, and walk away with a sweet treat or two from Sugartown!
Cruella: NO doubt this will be one fantastic event. So now that you've been open for a few months, tell me what's in store for the future of SVB and where do you see yourself going from here?
Ashley: Well, February 26 from 7-9 there will be a concert and art show featuring some amazing local musicians and one very talented artist, Angelina Peone (also a Saugerties native). The winter months (being a bit slower) are a great time to collaborate with other creative people, and I have the perfect space at the store to have these kinds of events. I think this is going to be lots of fun, too. By spring, I plan on having an even larger inventory, and I'm excited to say I'll be featuring postcard prints from my friend David Radovanovic, a Saugerties photographer and graphic designer.
Cruella: It’s such a great area filled with so many talented people, and it’s really wonderful to see shops embracing the local talent for their inventory.
I want to thank you for taking time out of your schedule to chat with me, and I also want to direct people to your Etsy site because even if you DON'T live in Saugerties, NY you can STILL purchase items from a really fun person from a really fun store. Hats off to you, Ms. Drewes, and let it be known you're totally solo in your endeavors. Another hard working ghoul I hold close to my cold black heart.
I want to thank you for taking time out of your schedule to chat with me, and I also want to direct people to your Etsy site because even if you DON'T live in Saugerties, NY you can STILL purchase items from a really fun person from a really fun store. Hats off to you, Ms. Drewes, and let it be known you're totally solo in your endeavors. Another hard working ghoul I hold close to my cold black heart.
Ashley: Aw, thanks, Cru!
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