Lyn Lewis has brought her own brand of style, class and affordability to her newly branded clothing store in Wodonga.
She purchased Armadio Wodonga last December and has rebranded to Lilly and Sage - a name choice which she said she had no logical explanation for.
“Lilly and Sage live in my head, the name and the colour scheme are manifestations of everything good in the world,” she said.
“Style, class and affordability mixed with those little unexpected touches that just make you smile.
“I don't like the mundane, I don't want the shop or the experience to be the same as in other retail spaces.
“I don't do pushy, or trying to convince people to buy things, I want the shopping experience to be more relaxed and pleasant for the shopper. I'm always here to help but I prefer to give people space to make their own choices.
“I am quite happy to offer my opinion which is usually, don't buy it unless you love it, otherwise you won't wear it.”
Lyn moved to Wodonga in recent years to be closer to family.
“Since I moved I've been looking for the right business to move into and had looked at a few others in the area, but this one felt right and I always trust my instincts, so here I am,” she said.
“I'm enjoying finding items and suppliers with reduced price items or end of run specials, this means I can stock all their beautiful ranges but pass on the discounts to my clients, this keeps everyone happy. Who doesn't love a bargain?” Lyn said.
Lilly and Sage has opened "The Clearance Room" at the rear of the shop, which is fully stocked with heavily reduced items arranged in size order.
“There really is something for everyone but it's like a treasure hunt,” Lyn said.
“We have shoes, shorts, skirts, pants, handbags, hats, dresses and winter coats all at dramatically reduced prices.”
The store stocks many of the same quality brands as were always available at Armadio and has also added some more reasonably priced brands with a wider size range to cater for more local shoppers.
“I wanted a fresh start and while we still stock many of the same brands we have diversified and expanded to include some well known brands like Cienna, Caroline Morgan, Bodega Moda and Sassy Duck,” Lyn said.
The range continues to expand and she said many of the newer brands were asked for or recommended by the customers.
Lyn hopes to expand the store to take on some staff in the future, but currently she works in the store alone.
She is thoroughly enjoying “some truly lovely people that pop into the shop on a regular basis”.
“Coming from a far less progressive local government area, I also really appreciate the street art, the way the parks and gardens are kept neat and tidy and the events that are organised and promoted in the area,” she said.
“I've received some great support and advice from some of the local Councillors and with Bill Tilley's office which is a huge encouragement for a newer member of the community.
I've also had some brief dealings with Business Wodonga who appear to be incredibly professionally run.”