Even with fewer places to go or celebrations to attend in recent months, it can still be a great feeling to treat yourself to something new to wear. Plus it’s a fantastic way to shop local! Here in Mason-Deerfield, we partnered with two boutique owners who operate businesses from home to feature some of their most popular styles: Too Qute Boutique, run by mother-daughter duo, Sarah Fister-Brewer and Madeline Brewer, and Indus Vastra, run by Pooja Soni.
Indus Vastra offers traditional Indian and Indo-western fusion styles, as well as western gowns perfect for all occasions–including casual, semi-formal, formal, and wedding collections. Typical Indian styles consist of Sarees, Salwar Kameez, Lehengas and Kurtis.
Too Qute carries specialty boutique brands that Sarah hand-selects with great care. The focus is on comfortable, trendy and affordable styles for the modern woman. In addition to clothing, they carry home décor items and fashion accessories.
Sarah’s daughter Madeline was born with a rare chromosomal deletion called 2q23.1 Microdeletion Syndrome. The idea for Too Qute Boutique grew from their shared love for fashion, paired with a need for therapy that truly engaged Madeline.
“Although Madeline is nonverbal, we connect with each other through fashion and she is very clear on her likes and dislikes, which makes the business way more fun,” explains Sarah.
Madeline’s favorite aspect of helping with Too Qute is opening up shipments.
“She enjoys the surprise when she opens the packages,” says Sarah “When she likes what I've ordered, she giggles, but if she's disappointed, her facial expressions tell me everything!”
Madeline also helps package orders and stamps her name on thank you notes for each customer. This season she picked out her first item for the boutique: a top with a pocket featuring sparkling sequins.
“Her life can be limited in scope due to her special needs, but through fashion, she can express herself,” shares Sarah. “When I started Too Qute, it was my vision for Madeline to help run the boutique after she ages out of school at 21. Creating new pathways for her to grow within the business has been a joy!”
Giving back to the community is also an important part of their mission. Through their Spread the Love initiative, they donate 100% of the profits to local organizations like Mason Schools Foundation, Challenger League and the Mason Food Pantry.
Customers can shop online at TooQuteBoutique.com and on Facebook and Instagram @TooQuteBoutique.
Indus Vastra began in 2012 after Pooja moved from California to Mason. She had three young children at the time, and wanted to start a business that would allow her to be there for her kids while doing something she was passionate about. Pooja had already worked in fashion after completing a design graduate course in India.
“With the support of my family and connections in India, I was able to start and expand Indus Vastra–first throughout Mason, then across the US and internationally,” explains Pooja.
Indus Vastra has an at-home store carrying a wide variety of clothing for women, men, and kids, which can be altered to fit any size. Their collection is inspired by a blend of popular industry and fashion trends, and traditional cultural styles.
Clients can also either choose from a broad range of unstitched fabrics and have them custom-stitched in any style and size, or design an outfit from scratch–selecting styles, fabrics, and colors–for any occasion. Both options are available online.
The most popular styles for clients are Sarees, Lehenga Cholis and Shararas/Gararas.
“Shararas/Gararas are mid-thigh-length tops with divided, flared-bottom pants, ideal for any occasion, and my personal favorite!” shares Pooja.
As a business owner, Pooja’s primary goal extends beyond customer satisfaction.
“I’m committed to ensuring that every client feels heard and valued in the collaborative process of creating or selecting the perfect outfit,” she says.
Interested customers can shop their at-home store or online, from their Facebook page or IndusVastra.com.