She greets her Atlantic Avenue neighbors
in an animal print jacket by Vestite Y Andate, open to reveal
a rather naughty swath of exposed skin. Perhaps window shoppers
are distracted by her fabulous Glenda Gies leopard print handbag,
and don’t notice that, on this day, she’s opted to wear a scarf
rather than a blouse.
That’s Scarlet Ginger for you. Always looking for attention.
The blonde mannequin and the boutique over which she holds court
are named for Scarlet O’Hara and Ginger Rogers, "two classic,
beautiful ladies," explains Scarlet Ginger’s owner and in-house
designer, Charlie Smith.
Luckily for Brooklyn, when Smith, 33, moved from London to New
York with her family, she felt at home on Atlantic Avenue and
it was here that she opened her boutique full of colorful clothing,
accessories and lingerie, which will soon add party dress rentals
to its list of amenities.
"I have a favorite spot [in London], New Kings Road,"
Smith told GO Brooklyn. "I used to work in Chelsea, in interior
design, so I felt very at home being on the street. l love anything
to do with antiques and interior design."
Smith’s six-month-old shop is quite spacious when compared to
other boutiques offering "indie" clothing labels. There
is actually more than one rack of clothes, an array of leather
belts with bold buckles from Argentina, and an eclectic mix of
handbags ranging from Jackie O-inspired Glenda Gies purses made
of vintage fabrics to Jamie Skolfield’s fun "sushi rock"
handbag with chopsticks for handles. In fact, Smith says she
has found so much success with her vibrant mix of casual wear
and cocktail dresses – produced in very limited quantities –
that the square footage has doubled and tripled in size since
she first opened with "a few handbags and panties."
Smith says a friend labeled Scarlet Ginger as "trad chic."
"My style is a real eclectic mix of old and new, traditional
with a cheeky, chic-y edge. I put a bit of fun into it,"
says Smith. Her color palette, which eschews black, plays a large
part in adding levity to her collection.
"There’s too much black in the world," says Smith.
"We want people to walk in here and smile rather than be
depressed. It’s a colorful store. Everyone who comes in says
what a positive vibe and energy there is. We want people to come
in and hang out and feel welcome, to chat and read a magazine
[on the couch]. We want them to stay and leave with something."
Smith calls most of her inventory "one-offs," meaning
if you like it, you’ll have to try it on and see if it fits,
because there’s only one of that item. This leads to what Smith
calls "aerobic buying," as her customers jump in and
out of a lot of pieces.
For fall, Smith will augment her colorful stock with hand-painted
corduroy jackets and ski jackets as well as cowboy boots from
Spain’s Sendra.
Not content to leave well enough alone, by the end of September,
the enterprising designer plans to rent party dresses, shoes
and accessories. Just as tuxedos are rented by men for special
occasions, Smith will offer a similar service to women, styling
them from head to toe.
In a city where closet space is rare, local fashionistas may
embrace the idea of leaving the storage of the frocks and dry
cleaning to Scarlet Ginger. Smith says the cost of renting will
be just one-third of the price she estimates it would cost a
customer to buy the same ensemble.
"You come in, and we’ll style you," explained Smith.
"You’ll walk out with the whole shebang [from handbags,
to dresses to shoes to jewelry]." The fee will range from
$80 to $150, "depending on what you’re taking – dress or
whole outfit."
The dresses for rent "will be varied," says Smith.
"I’m remodeling vintage dresses. There will be some new,
some real classic movie star dresses and some plain black – depending
on the look you want. We’ll have a wide range – from fancy to
very plain but stylish, classic dresses."
Smith has had some experience with dress rentals in London, but
concedes that this new element of her business is an example
of educated risk-taking.
"I did it for two years in London and it was an amazingly
busy business," she says, "but I don’t know what the
ethic is in New York. But I’ll give it a go."
The busy entrepreneur lives in Carroll Gardens with her husband,
Jonathan Knott, and their two children, Max, 3, and Molly, 5.
Smith says that she has even drafted Knott, who works in information
technology, into being a consultant for Scarlet Ginger men’s
shirt line which will debut in November.
"When we moved here, he couldn’t find any nice shirts that
weren’t $250 or a pile of crap," says Smith. "So we’ll
make our own. They’ll be wild and wacky or plain and boring.
I’m designing my own hand-printed fabric for everything from
workshirts to fancy evening."
It’s clear that charismatic Scarlet Ginger has plenty of intrigue
to keep us coming back for more throughout the 2003 fall fashion
season.
Scarlet Ginger is located at 376 Atlantic
Ave. between Hoyt and Bond streets in Boerum Hill. Custom-made
consultations are by appointment only. For more information,
call (718) 852-8205.
