Creative spirit sparks Morello

FLAIR FOR FASHION: Natalie Morello is owner of Shoppe Pioneer in Providence. / PBN FILE PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO
FLAIR FOR FASHION: Natalie Morello is owner of Shoppe Pioneer in Providence. / PBN FILE PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

When Natalie Morello left New York City in 2011 to open Shoppe Pioneer, a women’s fashion and lifestyle boutique in Providence, it was her first time in the Ocean State.

Through her prior job as a sales manager, she knew there wouldn’t be much competition in the local boutique market and the state had a demographic that she felt could work to her advantage.

“It had all of the things that I thought were important,” Morello said. “It had really low competition, lower rents, and it had the demographic to be able to survive.”

She left New York to get away from a hectic work schedule that had her managing clothing brands across the country and traveling every other week. She decided she wanted more control over her life and work.

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She’s put her creative eye and entrepreneurial spirit to work in a South Main Street shop that offers a unique experience to shoppers. Morello identifies her customer base as ranging in age from mid-20s and older, and that the most common visitor she sees is “the college student’s mother.”

Morello describes the primary style of clothing she sells as versatile and different from what one would find at a department store. She likens her store to Anthropologie, but more affordable.

Working in fashion sales in New York, Morello learned how to find quality products at an affordable cost. She knows designers, some popular in Europe, with beautiful clothing that isn’t as expensive as some of the more commonly known designers in the United States.

Morello has been able to sell her clothing at what she considers reasonable prices. Most the clothing in her store sells for less than $150, with items topping out at $200.

Being new to the Ocean State, she looked to her fellow business owners and neighbors to create a sense of belonging for herself there. She networked with local neighborhood and women’s groups and put herself out there in the community.

Today, Morello runs the South Main Street Neighborhood Association. She says that she has made some of the best friends she’s ever had, as well as business connections that have helped her make the transition from New York.

Her hope would be to make the showroom a place for New Englanders to see the work of fashion designers in New York, without having to actually drive there.

“I love Providence so much and I think that it has so much potential as a secondary city,” Morello said. “We want to bring other aspects of the fashion world to Providence.” •

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