STYLE FILES: Designing her dream

The Purple Zebra (36 E. Main Street, Bloomsburg). Open Tues.-Thurs. from 11 a.m.-6 p.m., Fri./Sat., 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Info: purplezebrashop.com, 570.784.3471

by Rachel Pugh
Weekender General Manager
Times Leader Director of Community Relations

The dreamer’s approach of Nicole Good has created a successful reality for the Bloomsburg resident. A woman with creative intuition, aspirations and a savvy business sense, Good has taken her sewing abilities and passion to Main Street Bloomsburg to open her own shop.

A business woman, designer and guru of fashion, the college town has been blessed with Good’s presence as her 1-year-old boutique, The Purple Zebra, is a shop you used to only dream about.

WEEKENDER: How would you describe your store?

GOOD: I tend to think that The Purple Zebra isn’t your average boutique. Through my eyes, I view it as an eclectic shop that’s representative of my own personal style and love for vintage apparel and jewelry. While all of the merchandise for sale is new or handmade, I typically have an assortment of vintage pieces on display with my new inventory to give the store an indie feel and vibe. I will be launching the online version of my store this month, and I plan to offer a vintage section on the site.

WEEKENDER: What brands do you carry?

GOOD: I don’t carry any mainstream name brands per se — rather, the styles found in The Purple Zebra are comprised from mainly smaller, Los Angeles-based boutique lines. I also carry my own label, GoodnPretty, which features one-of-a-kind pieces, including accessories, which I make right in the store.

WEEKENDER: How would you describe your label?

GOOD: My designs are directly influenced by my own personal style. I hate to be redundant with my use of the word “eclectic,” but it’s definitely the best way to describe my design aesthetic. I use a lot of different prints and textures in my designs and even look for vintage fabrics in the process. I also like to incorporate different materials such as fur and leather into my work.

WEEKENDER: What fashion advice would you give the public?

GOOD: Be true to yourself and what you like. Fashion is not supposed to be about making sure you’re wearing every latest trend or fad, it’s more about having fun with clothes and being able to artistically express yourself through the use of color, textures, and shape. Wearing all black is always OK, and showing a lot of skin does not make you sexy.

“Adornment is never anything except a reflection of the heart” — Coco Chanel.

WEEKENDER: How do you go about choosing your inventory?

GOOD: I can spend countless hours selecting inventory for the store, but more often than not, I’m looking for pieces that can’t be found elsewhere in the area. I base my decisions on what I feel is current and fresh. I also only order three-six of any one item to ensure that anyone that comes into the shop won’t leave wearing the same polka-dot shirt as 42 other girls walking down Main Street.

WEEKENDER: What would you say is your clientele?

GOOD: A large part of my clientele is comprised of college-aged girls, but my target audience is young women ages 18-30. I have girls younger and women older who love the store just the same, however. After all, you’re only as old as you feel!

WEEKENDER: What are some of your hottest sellers?

GOOD: Definitely dresses and accessories. I love carrying funky items such as printed flare pants and different graphic tees, but no one can deny a hot little black dress for a night out. I just got in a ton of sparkly new fabrics, so I’ll be starting holiday dresses this week!

WEEKENDER: What made you want to open your own shop?

GOOD: I’ve dreamt of having my own shop for basically as long as I can remember. My mother made a lot of my clothes as a young girl, and I fell in love with sewing as soon as my mom taught me. I always made a lot of my own things growing up because of the lack of options in this area. I never thought opening a store would be a viable option for me at this time until I was permanently laid off from my position as a designer/product developer at a local manufacturing plant in Bloomsburg. I spent a few months in development mode, doing research and writing a business plan then just decided to go for it!

WEEKENDER: How did you come up with the name of your shop?

GOOD: I had a dream, quite literally, in fact. I’ve always been a dreamer and frequently have lots of crazy ideas in the middle of the night. While I was in the midst of writing my business plan, I had a dream that I owned a store called The Purple Zebra. I even based a lot of the design concept off of that dream.

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