by MIKE CHAIKEN
CTFashionMag.com
Sara Annapolen’s interest in fashion started at an early age.
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Annapolen, the founder and designer for Shop Sara Joy, said, “Honestly…. since I was younger, I always was interested in fashion. I was always going through my grandmother’s old clothes, finding treasures that people didn’t want, styling them. I was always into vintage shopping. You know, wearing my mom’s clothes.
The Cheshire native, who now lives in Westchester County, N.Y., said, “Fashion has always been a self-expression thing for me. It was a way I could stand out in in school and really represent myself as somebody who’s creative.”
Annapolen added, “I’m an artist. I’ve always been an artist… I was always coloring with markers… when I was little.
“Fashion was just another form of art for me really,” said the designer.
After high school, Annapolen enrolled in college to study fashion design.
“I always took art classes in public school and private classes when I was younger,” said Annapolen. But, despite her interest in art, when she applied to Syracuse University, she started as a fashion design major.
“The first year I took a lot of sewing classes and introductory classes,” said Annapolen.
But when her sophomore year arrived, she changed her major to surface pattern design.
“(It was) a focus on print design and your fabric,” said Annapolen. “In that major, you could either study fashion or home furnishings. And I went the fashion route.”
Annapolen said she liked surface pattern design because “I love 2D art. I don’t really like 3D. I don’t like ceramics or constructing models of things… And I loved computer graphics. I love technology, I love computers. I love software programs. I love designing. So (the major) was kind of a way where I could merge actual paintings, paper, collages, things I’ve made by hand, and then scan them and work on digital editing.”
Shop Sara Joy sells resort wear, which is considered clothing you wear on vacation.
“I call it ‘Endless Summer,” said Annapolen. “Everything is lightweight; so, everything feels good on your body when it’s really hot outside…. Everything is meant to be easy to wear and something that you don’t have to worry too much about. There’s no zippers; there’s no linings. It really is meant for vacation or high summer temperatures.”
The clothing Annapolen sells is the same type of clothing she would wear herself.
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“The prints –and the overall collection– reflect my personal style,” said the Cheshire native. “I love color and I think the beach is a great place to wear the most color… I know people who are lawyers who can’t wear as much color as they do when they’re on vacation. It’s a chance to express yourselves.”
She added, “Another part of my personal style is being really comfortable…. but I don’t think you should have to sacrifice how great you look…. When you look good and you feel good in what you’re wearing, then you’re in a good mood and you exude more confidence.”
Being a small business owner like herself is hard, said Annapolen. One of the biggest challenges, she said, was “figuring out how and where to spend money in the right ways.”
Another challenge is being a business owner and being a mother, said the designer. She has two children “so my time is cut so thin.”
Although the fashion industry has historically been a man’s business, Annapolen said being a woman in the field is not the challenge it used to be.
“I think in this day and age, women are so supportive of other women,” she said. “I have joined a lot of networking groups and have had some amazing opportunities to meet other female founders, female investors, female owners who are willing to share advice and help.”
Annapolen added these days there’s nothing negative about being a female business owner in fashion. “It feels great. It feels empowering. It’s been a lot of fun to meet other female founders.”
For information and to shop at Annapolen’s brand Shop Sara Joy, visit ShopSaraJoy.com.
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