The Art of Retail

Stephanie Morrissey
Owner, Stephanie’s
“My look changes every day, so you never know what to expect from me or from the store.”

After a buying trip to New York for a boutique she managed in New Hampshire, Stephanie Morrissey knew she had found her calling. Three years later, she returned to her native St. Paul and opened her own boutique. This tried-and-true fashionista walks the walk—she wears the designers she carries in her store (including Nicole Miller and Tibi), reads every fashion magazine she can, and finds inspiration on and off the runway.

Jay Alexander
Buyer, Pumpz & Co.
“I like to think of our merchandise as wearable investments. If we don’t support local boutiques, we’ll all end up looking alike.”

After stints at Dayton’s and Neiman Marcus, Jay Alexander landed at Pumpz & Co., an upscale women’s shoe and handbag boutique. As a buyer, Alexander brings in Miu Miu, Hogan, Prada, Linea Rossa, Car Shoe, L’Autre Chose, and other high-end lines. He enjoys offering personalized service and bringing in designers (including Carlos Falchi and Rafe Totengco) to meet his clients.

Ini Iyamba
Owner, Ivy
“My customers understand the trend but don’t always follow it.”

Before opening Ivy Women’s in Uptown, and recently, Ivy Men’s + Design on Glenwood Avenue in Minneapolis, Ini Iyamba had a string of retail sales gigs, including selling toys at FAO Schwartz and working as a manager/buyer at Loring Park’s Exile. When buying for his stores, Iyamba uses trends only as a guideline, preferring to buy “classic looks with an edge.”

Chris Plantan
Owner/creator, russell+hazel
“Real style is not about one formula. It is a melding game as much as it is an art.”

Chris Plantan’s russell+hazel products were popular online and in stores nationally and internationally long before the retail space opened last year. Plantan values customer feedback so highly she moved the design studio so it is adjacent to the store. In addition to the namesake store’s sleek office accessories line, it also carries books, Loro Piana shawls and throws, and kitchen items by Bodum and Grazzini.