The fast fashion industry is something we should avoid and we should try to shop locally instead!
If you are from San Francisco or are looking for a sustainable boutique to shop at, check out Siren Boutique! Siren is located at 244 W Portal Ave #1423, San Francisco, CA. I had the amazing opportunity to talk to the owner of this boutique, Lisa Moore, and learned some fascinating stuff about the background of her boutique.
Siren Boutique was started in July of 2017. Lisa initially started with multiple locations but is now focused on her main store on West Portal Avenue. Siren Boutique also offers both curbside pickup and online purchases through Instagram and their website. You can find their website https://sfsiren.com/ and their Instagram @siren.boutique. Siren boutique also has a blog that is dedicated to being a voice in the community.
Lisa originally was studying to become a documentary filmmaker but always loved clothing and creative processes. She enjoyed working in customer service during college such as a waitress at a restaurant or even a sales associate. Lisa then met someone who was a buyer at Macy's and she became interested in that career field, so she went into retail management.
When Lisa worked at Macy's West, she got to know the buyers and volunteered to do projects for them which then got her promoted. Lisa then worked at Macy's as an assistant buyer as well as a buyer for Ambiance. She saw people who got to take customer service to the next level which made her realize that her passion was small business and eventually wanted to open her own boutique.
Something Lisa loves about having her own boutique is the direct relationships with her consumers. Lisa loves helping women feel confident and beautiful and really enjoys connecting with her customers. Lisa also mentioned how she always keeps her customers in mind when going to buying shows and picking out the pieces for her boutique.
The clothes sold at Siren Boutique are unique and wearable. She describes it as "refined boho." Lisa's motto is "fashion and style isn't an age, it's an aesthetic." Siren is a neighborhood store where anyone can find something. A great deal of the clothes sold at Siren come from local designers and are of the best quality and price they can find. The clothes that are sold are also pieces in which you look good and feel good.
Sustainability is very important to Lisa and Siren Boutique. They go out their way to support sustainable vendors and make sure to have the vendors ship clothes in earth-friendly, compostable packaging. They also use recycled shopping bags and tissue in store. Siren boutique balances carrying both sustainable and affordable things. Lisa mentioned that she loves to "advocate for the environment through fashion!" Siren boutique also supports women-owned suppliers.
Unfortunately, COVID has impacted their boutique because they had to close the store for a short period in the beginning. Luckily, they were able to reopen! Before the pandemic, a large amount of their clientele were tourists and now it is mainly local customers. However, Lisa mentioned that she now has an amazing group of people who come to shop with them and she feels stronger ties to the community. They also carry more gifts now!
Before COVID, they did many fashion shows and participated in fundraising for different schools. They also did fashion shows with women's charity organizations and donated clothing to a women's law firm. Along with the fashion shows, they also did pop-up shopping events at the women's law firm and recently hosted a virtual one. Siren also did sip and shops, which is when there is live music, food, and you can shop with your friends. They also had everyone RSVP to make sure that all the customers receive great service.
We should all do our best to support local businesses and shop small in any way we can!
Also check out the list of the Top 20 Fashion Blogs in California! Rethinking Fashion was featured!