fab’rik
Photo by Karim Shamsi-Basha.
fab'rik
Owner Melissa Mistrot at fab'rik.
“I have nothing to wear.”
The phrase haunts many fashion enthusiasts as they prepare for work, school, events or even just casual days. Once uttered, visions of a giant closet filled with the latest trends often enter the mind. Fab’rik hopes to realize that vision.
“Come in, feel like you’re in your best friend’s closet and don’t have that Pretty Woman attitude,” owner Melissa Mistrot said.
Thirteen years ago, the first fab’rik clothing boutique opened in Atlanta as an idea from entrepreneur Dana Spinola. Since then, it has expanded to many locations throughout the Southeast. In August, the first Alabama location came to Homewood.
Mistrot has lived in Homewood since 1999. Once a buyer for Parisian and a freelance stylist, she took time off to raise her three children, all of whom attend Homewood schools. Now that they are in school, Mistrot said, she is ready for the new challenge along with partners Carmen Herndon and Stacy Falls.
“I feel like I can do it now with the age of my children and because I feel good about this [business],” Mistrot said.
Fab’rik’s mission statement is “high style with heart, no attitude, no sticker shock.” Although fab’rik is a franchise, Mistrot believes in its mission and hopes to be able to use it to provide service to women of all ages. Its biggest market is women in the 20 to 40 age range, but Mistrot knows that fab’rik’s wide variety can accommodate everyone.
“There’s something for every woman here, and a comfortable chair for every man,” Mistrot said.
Clothing at the boutique is designed by an in-house designer and purchased by the fab’rik buying office in Los Angeles. All pieces are priced under $100 with the exception of the denim line.
The staff doubles as stylists, available for appointments to give customers options and help them decide what they want. When helping customers with styles, their needs are what are most important, Mistrot said.
“We want you to feel good about yourself when you walk out the door,” Mistrot said, “Not just because you have on something pretty, but we want you to feel good on the inside and on the outside.”
Along with their everyday styling and clothing services, fab’rik offers specials for students, teachers, brides and members of the military. For special events, the store offers “Rockstar Parties,” which allow a group of 10 to 20 people to shop alone in the store for 20 percent off of their entire purchase.
The parties are also used as fundraising events for the community. In September, fab’rik held a Rockstar Party to raise money for ovarian cancer.
“We are so excited to be able to do what we love, which is fashion, clothes and styling, but we can also give back,” Mistrot said.
