All season long, shoppers head to the nearest mall where mass-produced shirts run rampant and trendy accessories are abundant. But make no mistake, shop at the nearest Wet Seal or Pac Sun, and run the risk of making identical purchases to hundreds of other people.
Tempe's own "Swell" clothing store claims to provide the solution to shopping at monotonous retailers that sell in bulk.
"You won't find our stuff anywhere else," says Karin Zajac. She's been the store manager at Swell for three years and can testify to the store's authenticity. "Most of the brands we carry are obviously not mass-produced. You don't have to worry about walking down the street and seeing your shirt on someone else," she adds.
Since their opening in 1993, Swell has carried an eclectic mix of clothing and deejay equipment. The store's owners, Russell and Alissa Ramirez opened the store with the help of another couple, and with the intention of fusing fashion and music together. They started out catering to the underground rave scene in Arizona but once that trend faded away, the Ramirez couple began shifting the store's merchandise to higher-end clothing and rare brands.
Continuing on with store tradition, Swell still carries dance music and now sponsors "Kind" Fridays at Club Freedom on Apache.
Despite the store's long history, the Mill location is only six months old. Formerly located at Scottsdale and McKellips, the owners felt Mill was a better location for the store. Zajac notes that most of the tight-knit staffers at Swell moved with the company from its old Scottsdale location. The staff is more like a family than a management team, according to her. Employees work together to learn the names of their customers and their fashion tastes. Frequent shopping at Swell allows the staff to learn about the individual style of every shopper and cater to their every want and need.
Local brands and designers like Apriba, Phoenician Urban Ware, Angela Johnson and Andy Brown are featured in the store, among bigger designers like Diesel, Von Dutch, and Free People. Customers will soon find merchandise from Miss Sixty, Royal Elastics, and 7 Diamonds at Swell.
Zajac reveals that deconstructed denim, military-inspired silks, sexy tanks, and pastel minis are among the season's hottest trends for women. Da-Nang is a collection that features some of these fashions and Zajac suggests heading down to Swell before those unique pieces sell out. Only a few pieces of each item are made and once they're gone, it is highly unlikely you'll ever find it again.
Reach the reporter at: Kalea.Yoshida@asu.edu
