Frugal Fashionista opens in Geneseo

Spring Marrow, owner of the Frugal Fashionista at 61 Main St. in Geneseo. Photo by Michael Johnson

GENESEO, NY — Frugal Fashionista opened Nov. 21 at 61 Main Street in Geneseo. Featured are upscale women’s apparel, both new and resale — exclusively in high end designer lines.

The shop carries top line fashions by Rue 21, BCGB, Ann Loft, Ralph Lauren, American Eagle, Old Navy and Abercrombie. There is footware by Nine West and BCGB, and handbags by Anne Klein.

Frugal Fashionista will handle consignments, but only in lines of Old Navy quality and up.

“You can dress like a million for just a few dollars,” says proprietor Spring Marrow, who demonstrated just that, showing up for our interview attractively dressed in an outfit custom cobbled from her shop racks. Total price of everything she was wearing an absurdly low $38. (See photo)

“And you can find a gorgeous gown here for $25,” Spring asserts.

For women who like to rotate out their wardrobe, the shop offers the opportunity to get money back while always have something new to wear.

Lines which are not to be found in the Rochester region — BCGB and Rue — can be had from Frugal Fashionista at wonderfully reasonable prices.

Both gift shoppers and for-myself shoppers appreciate the special care Spring and her staff take providing colorful bags-to-go and packaging.

“We wrap everything in tissue and put raffia ribbon on the package,” Spring explains. “We give our customers that boutique feel.” Indeed, the attractive bag is a suitable substitute for giftwrapping.

Frugal Fashionista is a licensed franchise with outlets in Cooperstown, Edmonton, and Skaneateles.

In opening the Geneseo shop, Spring fulfilled a standing request from the franchise owner who also happens to be a personal friend.

But for some time Spring had hesitated to compete with another friend and former in-law, Valerie Honeyford, her children’s aunt, who had a consignment shop on Center Street. In that sense, the closing of Valerie’s has precipitated the opening Frugal Fashionista.

Brand new and pre-owned consigned items can be found on any given day. At present, with the shop having just opened, new merchandise represents about 80 percent of total stock. Spring hopes to steer that fraction to 60 percent after being open a while.

Spring intends to serve a blended customer base, neither predominantly college students nor predominantly local residents, but a healthy mixture of both. She wants the shop to be a place well frequented by the college crowd, where they can feel comfortable — but not so dictated by college business that hours have to be shrunk in the summertime. So far, in the shop’s first dozen days, that objective is being realized.

“When you change your hours when the students are gone, you’re not taking care of your other customers,” Spring reflects.

Spring is no stranger to business proprietorship, nor to 61 Main Street. She is the owner of PC-Trend, the computer troubleshooting shop which until recently occupied the address.

PC-Trend is not entirely extinct, but is now regulated to a small room in back. Repair and servicing which is being offered at Staples had a severely damaging impact on PC-Trend’s business. Before the big retailer arrived in Geneseo, PC-Trend had three employees and a backlog of work.

Spring qualifies that PC-Trend still is serving a small but loyal customer base on a call-for-an-appointment basis.

Spring has some involvement in commercial real estate as well, owning and living in the Fowlerville Hotel and having very recently purchased Station 42.

Spring is an Avon native, well known as a top springboard diver and coach for 17 years. Coaching ended when Spring’s youngest twins entered kindergarten the same year her oldest child entered college.

“It was a night job and all my kids were now home at night,” she explains.

She found a daytime job at PC-Trend, becoming owner of the business in 2006.

Frugal Fashionista is Spring’s answer to the category killer competition from Staples.

“And so far, it’s just rockin!” she declares.

The shop is always looking for new consignors. Phone number is 243-4870 or email speingdiving@ yahoo.com.

Frugal Fashionista is open seven days a week, 10-to-7 Mondays, Tuesday, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays; 10 .m. to 5:30 p.m. Wednesdays, and noon to 5 p.m. on Sundays.

A grand opening with specials is planned for this Saturday, Dec. 5.