Waking up one morning was definitely not inspiring. I woke up to a gray tone, the gloomy aura that the sky presented to my eyes that morning, seeped through my blinds and barley brightened up my room. It was one of those Rainy days where you do not want to get out of the bed; you kind of just want to stay there all freaking day.
But since the weather was not inspiring me enough to get the hell out of bed, my other motive was taking the time to interview this upcoming dynamic duo, a unique, complex and mesmerizing, group of ladies.
A couple weeks ago, I decided to visit the powerhouse boutique, formally known as – Gypsy Warrior. How often do you get ready in the morning and tell yourself, as you constantly run back and forth to the mirror , you know- that mirror where your 10,000 fingerprints are smudged all over your bed head image, and tell yourself that you want to wear something that is comfortable ,but also unique and fabulous?
Realistically whenever any human being walks out of the house they never want to be wearing something that everybody has. How many times do you tell yourself that? That you want to wear the same outfit as your fellow students, or even your co-workers? Hopefully not too often, or at all!
The new boutique which opened up in November 2011, Gypsy Warrior, became such a fabulous establishment through the great collaboration of two females who fell in love with fashion in their younger years. These women literally eat, sleep, and breathe fashion and the second that you walk into Gypsy Warrior you will absolutely without a doubt FEEL the love in the atmosphere. Nicla and Michel aligned together and before the store became an option, these ladies began their venture online.
Walking into Gypsy Warrior , was U-N-R-E-A-L, it was almost like Nicla and Michel had a time capsule at the door and the second that I stepped into the boutique, time had been positioned back to 1967,and then in a blink of an eye, I was right back in 2012
Nicla greeted me at the door, I was familiar with such an old soul- yes old soul, I knew she was one, I knew before I asked her , I knew that she was a C-a-p-r-i-c-o-r-n. Don’t ask me how I know, we just know those things without having to ask, it was the energy, it was the ether, it was the instant clutching that earth signs retain. I felt that she was an old soul, and one clue that exaggerated on her old soul style, was her vision of how clothes should feel, how your clothes should fit, and how you need your clothes to look when you put it on. The three formulas elaborated and interpreted every tiny detail that was expressed through her own sense of style, in her own – sense – of style. She truly understands fashion. Nicla's Business partner Michele, a cusp Cancer/Leo- aggressive but at the same time caring and emotional – an aggressive and smooth moon sign, but not really all he time, is also is love with fashion. You may never be able to tell 100% what a moon sign is going to bring to the table, they can sometimes be dangerously surprising or, tastefully dashing- in both a good and bad way. Her views of fashion are expressed with an intimidating diverse and individualistic demeanor, her passion for brilliance with clothes exceeds the term obvious. She knows all the right things and will teach her customers how to stray way from the oh –so- wrong, horrible – worst dress worthy – outfits. Leos and Capricorns tend to mesh together, so flawlessly, especially when it comes to friendships and business partnerships, it is almost effortless. As I continued to interview these dazzling ladies, the fantastic bond and relationship that they expressed was vibrant, pulsating, and lively enough for a blind person to see.
The name Gypsy Warrior is extremely fascinating in itself, but I was curious as to what the words Gypsy Warrior means to them.
“The word gypsy describes our own personal styles, me (Nicla), being the gypsy which is the Bohemian , ‘60’s and ‘70’s style, and the warrior being New York inspired, Rock &Roll, leopard and leather, and you’ve got the Gypsy Warrior girl.” –Nicla
The mixture of textures and completely different styles is the key to their fashion forward inspiration.
“Together we bring the whole Gypsy Warrior element , the styles set us apart from other companies so distinctively because we have the collaboration of both , whereas brands tend to be so Bohemian , or so Rock & Roll, but at gypsy warrior we bring out both in our brand.” –Michel
Some of the clothes tells its own story, as if it was worn in the gladiator days when lions and tigers were elements in a battle, the clothes envisions a warrior type –of- feel, with a little bit of vintage stress added. This warrior feel can become the main piece of an outfit, and then slightly tamed with a floral cardigan or pumped up with a leather jacket, which infuses the outfit with a more Bad A-S-S touch. One important comment that was mentioned was the need for their customers to feel like they are having fun with their clothes.
The styles that represent Gypsy Warrior are also inspired by the colors, the colors that remind you of a Merlot ruby red that is exaggerated in the completion in a floral print shirt, infused with hunter green, or emerald scented tones all over a designed mini dress, that could be accessorized with a brassy golden earth toned necklace, earring or even a slave bracelet. Since they both understand how clothes should look and feel, the activity that they both enjoy is personally assisting each customer and providing an honest opinion of how to use each garment. Whether is it an accessory belt, scarf, or jewelry, envisioning someone in something that they may never wear, and actually succeeding in opening up a customer’s sense of liberty, style and youth brings joy to Michel and Nicla’s job
“We both have a very unique sense of a classic style; whether it is mixing unique trending styles with staple pieces that you will have for the rest of your life. It is important for us to not so much follow the trends, but to create our own trends by mixing pieces from various styles.”- Michel
In order for these two ladies to be extremely on point with proportions of outfits, for an example; a mixture of vintage and modern, with a spice of classy, has more to do with their spiritual connection. They present themselves and their knowledge as if the information was conveyed from past lives. The Gypsy Warrior can be described as vintage with a modern twist, but also exciting and new.
The next best thing about this diverse boutique is that all the clothes are extremely affordable. Many women love to drive all the way to New York and gather items that are taxed and too expensive. But, at Gypsy Warrior you will definitely be able to pick out an outfit for the weekend, and you won’t have to pay more than $100. The price point is a fabulous perk that draws many of their customers, and provides a retention rate that businesses hope for.
One of the items that were recently introduced to the store because of it dynamic, funky, and eclectic design was the jewelry collection, Eye of Ja, in which Janna Appelstein takes full ownership. I have wondered how people come across some of the products in their stores. The story of how Eye of Ja, was discovered by Nicla is one story to hear.
“One day, Janna came to the store and I saw her wearing one of her bracelets, and I said, where did you get that? I’m obsessed with it. You know it is very much my esthetic, and she said, I make these (Janna). That was how we got into the topic that she was a jewelry designer. She came and brought us and everything that she brought to the store just perfectly went with our style of clothes “– Nicla
The Eye of Ja jewelry coincides with the main objective of Gypsy Warrior, which is to bring a diverse selection of items that you can’t purchase at a regular store. The brassy, gun metal tones, with a one of a kind design, which undergoes an immense amount of detail from colors of metal, to textures of beads, and functional accessorizing ideas, was sums up the genetics of Janna’s jewelry. The hand bracelet, sometimes referred to as the slave bracelet, provides a delicate elegance to your hand and gracefully wraps around your middle finger or any finger. These bracelets are hot right now, they are making people’s mouths drop and necks turn, and they have been making a statement when any person takes a glimpse at them. The Slave bracelets are not the only jewelry that Janna makes. She also designs and creates rings and necklaces that are sure to make you feel like you need to own one. Janna’s creative mind has shown in her jewelry, it is affordable, the styles are funky and functional, you can wear any of her jewelry with any piece of clothing or outfit, and the chances of you finding her jewelry anywhere else with such design are slim. Everyone wants to be caught wearing one of these slave bracelets. You can take a look at her jewelry on her website on etsy.
http://www.etsy.com/shop/normalonvenus
You can also check out the website for Gypsy Warrior on :www.Gypsywarrior.com or personally visit the boutique at 43 Hudson Street Ridgewood, NJ 07450 , (201) 857-4897
