by boe: March 2011

As soon as we heard news of the devastating earthquakes and tsunami in Japan, our hearts went out to everyone in Japan. Over the years, by boe has developed wonderful relationships with so many Japanese customers, and we hope they (+ everyone they love) is safe and well.

by boe took a trip to Japan last year, which only increased our admiration for this beautiful country and culture.

by boe immediately made a donation to the American Red Cross, providing emergency relief, medical services, and emotional counseling for survivors.

In order to continue raising funds for Japan, by boe is donating a portion of our sales to the International Rescue Committee, which continues to provide shelter, food, and other emeregency supplies for those in need.

We are so excited to begin our interview series! by boe is looking forward to sharing with you some of our favorite people (+ things!).

Our first feature was immediately reserved for Ada Egloff of Oma, the sweetest, chicest vintage store owner around! Many of you may recognize her as the manager of by boe's SoHo shop when it first opened in 2006. We are so proud of her success in opening her own stylish shop in Philadelphia!

Oma has been featured in PAPER, Daily Candy, and Teen Vogue, and we are thrilled to have Ada share with us the secrets of style + running a small business herself:

BB: How did Oma get started?

A: Oma started out as Lollycrisp Vintage (on Etsy) back in 2008 after I finished school. I had just moved to Philly and was suddenly surrounded with great thrifting. I kept buying and needed a venue to showcase my goods - and voila! Lollycrisp was started. In 2009 I found a gorgeous storefront here in Philly and decided I'd give it a go as a retail outpost. That lasted about a year an a half, until I decided to shut the doors and go back to internet only this past September.

BB: How do you choose the amazing styles Oma offers? Is there a seasonal trend in your vintage selection?

A: Much of my merchandise selection process comes from instinct and guts. I like to buy things that I'd want to wear right now. That being said, I definitely look for pieces that are season-appropriate and touch on current trends. I like the idea of vintage as something timeless and consistently relevant. I steer away from kitsch factor and try and keep it fashion forward.

BB: As lovers of chic simplicity, we adore Oma's aesthetic. What inspired your design choices?

A: I am a lover of chic simplicity myself! I wanted to keep everything feeling really clean and crisp - allowing the clothes (which are sometimes quite bold) to really shine. I think a neutral palette lets everything breathe and sort of stays objective. Also, simplicity never really goes out of style.

BB: You managed of our SoHo shop (when it first opened!). Did this experience influence your decision to start your own shop?
A: Managing the Soho By Boe shop and working with Annika in general were invaluable learning experiences for me. I wouldn't have had the first idea of how to run a small retail start up without learning by example. Even just the day-to-day of the shop gave me a feel for the little tasks that make up running a small business. I was always very impressed with how Annika took care of so many things at once. You have to be the ultimate multitasker if you want to do what we do!

BB: You do a lot of modelling of Oma styles-- do you listen to music during photo shoots? Who are you listening to?

A: I don't think I'd get through the day without music, my goodness. When I'm shooting I like things that are upbeat and help push the shoot along. It also gets cold shooting in my home office during the winter, so anything that makes me boogie a little is important. On rotation lately has been Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti, Destroyer, Cut Copy, Kanye West, Sebastien Tellier, Derrhunter. Oh and of course our friends from the ol' alma mater, Small Black and Vampire Weekend. [ed. note: Ada + by boe's blog editor, Valerie, attended Barnard College together in NYC. Ada was the one who introduced Valerie to by boe!]

BB: Do you have dreams for Oma expanding in the future?

A: I would love for Oma to keep going at this pace and potentially grow in the future. I think the web is an amazing place for a retailer these days, and unfortunately that makes opening a brick and mortar even harder. If I relocated to LA or someplace similar, I could see expanding the concept and trying a retail space again. But for now I'm going to keep chugging along online until that opportunity arises!

BB: I know you are engaged (congratulations!). Will you be wearing vintage?

A: Thank you for your congrats on the engagement! I'm really excited. I faced a dilemma with the wedding dress situation because a. I love vintage but b. as you know, my sister is a designer and has made all of my important event dresses since my 8th grade dance! So we decided to go with the best of both worlds. I found a beautiful cotton eyelet 1940s gown that my sister Sydney is reconstructing to make a bit more clean and modern. She's draping in LA as we speak and I cannot wait to get it in the mail and try it on!

BB: Is there an Oma team, or do you do it all yourself? (I am in awe of you if you do!)

A: The Oma team currently consists of my dog Lima Bean and me. Occasionally my fiancee Rick will shoot some photos for me (and he does all of my graphic and web design - www.whoisrick.com). The sourcing, cleaning, repairs, photos, editing, listing, and shipping however...are all me!

BB: What is the best piece of advice you could offer someone starting up a creative business?

A: Hmm this is a tough one. I guess the advice I'd give has two parts. Part one is to have an idea/concept that is very clear and fleshed-out. You want to stand out in a sea of creativity, and in a web community like Etsy, there are probably 10 other people doing what you do. It's important to stand out in that crowd. Also, this is a full time job (and a half). You have to be pretty committed to what you do in order to make it work. It takes a while to get established but you have to just keep pushing, building connections and a sense of community with like-minded sellers, and really never give up! If you give it everything, it's completely worth it in the end.