SPOTLIGHT ON

A Diamond in the Rough

On the busy streets of Blue Hill Ave in Massachusetts lies a treasure that is too often over looked. Amongst the blur of cars and buses that fly by and the bustle and hustle of people getting to where they need to go, many people miss out on this fortune. Across from Franklin Park Zoo and off Columbia Road lies this diamond. Like many beautiful gems and stones, there is always one that, when compared to others, shines brighter than the rest. This jewel on Blue Hill Ave is the store Threadz.

I know many are probably surprised that I am referring to a store as a diamond or a treasure but in the world of fashion and retail a simple white T, a pair of Jordan’s, a oversized Coach bag or even a simple little black dress is seen as a treasure to some. Like artwork or jewelry, fashion pieces are seen as a body of work that someone buys in order to add to their “collection”. Threadz is a clothing store that not only prides itself on having exclusive brands, items, styles, and sizes, but also its customer service.

Threadz is a “one stop shop” for masculine fashion. At Threadz, the sales associates are like your personal stylist because right when you walk in the doors, you are their main focus or priority. They are there to assist their guests and help them with their fashion needs. They pride themselves on the fact that they can give a guest a whole outfit from head to toe, so that they don’t need to go anywhere else. Threadz knows that many people don’t want to have to travel to 2 or more stores to get their “whole outfit”, so Threadz tries to make that happen for all their guests.

With exclusive merchandise, Threadz is incomparable to other retail stores. With elite designers, variety of sizes and distinctive styles, Threadz gives the guest many choices of merchandise to choose from, but if you see what you want, the store recommends getting it right away, because it might not be there tomorrow. Many people love shopping at Threadz because with the exclusiveness of the sizes and styles, maybe one or two people would own that item. So a guest could literally say “I am the only person who has this”, and they would be right. When it comes to fashion, two people don’t want to be caught wearing the same thing at the same event, so by shopping at Threadz you eliminate that chance of that happening to you.

Like I mentioned before there is no other store that offers, exclusive pieces, great customer service, and a sense of comfort like Threadz does. With two store clerks greeting you as you come in, you get the attention you need. With a friendly security guard at the front of the store welcoming you in, you get a feeling of relief or protection if ever needed. Threadz has a small boutique vibe which allows for better guest service. With the music and videos playing throughout the store you get more in the mood to go out.

I had the opportunity to interview Rodney Kornegay, one of the store managers, about this great store. Here is Casuna Connection’s Exclusive Interview with Threadz…

CC: Threadz Boston, a men’s upscale, urban boutique, is located at 614 Blue Hill Ave, Boston MA. When did the store open?

RK: Threadz hit the scene on July 3^rd, 2010 and we will be celebrating our one year anniversary this coming July.

CC: Now Hip Zepi was in this location for 14 years, what do you think will make Threadz thrive?

RK: Threadz gives the best personal customer service. We care about our customers and try to make sure we know what they want. Threadz is not your typical hip hop shop. We cater to local sneaker fiends and at the same time offer high end exclusive brands to the locals who like to stay one step ahead of the fashion game.

CC: What does the name, Thredz, refer too?

RK: Threadz refers to a needle and thread.

CC: Being in the inner city and being a store that offers higher end exclusive brands, do you find you get a lot of positive customer traffic?

RK: Even being in the inner city the traffic here is great. Even though we are in the inner city, kids and adults will save the money to even get one item here, especially those that want to stay current in the trends.

CC: What makes Threadz different from regular retail clothing stores and higher end retail clothing stores?

RK: Regular retail clothing stores lack the exclusiveness of higher end stores. We have brands that other stores don’t have as well. Higher end retail stores don’t usually carry higher sizes, but here we have 4x shirts and 42 and 44 waist pants. Our customer service can’t be compared as well, we are here to service our guests and give them the best service.

CC: Now everyone loves a sale, especially at the holidays. Does Threadz ever have sales and do you offer exclusive deals, especially on Black Friday?

RK: We usually don’t have sales because with our products, we move through them really fast. If you shop with us we always recommend to our customers that if you see something you like you should buy it because it might not be here tomorrow.

CC: Now with your exclusive brands, you must service some very important or famous people, is that the case?

RK: Well famous is relevant to who thinks someone is famous. A kid in the neighborhood could be famous, or a rapper could be famous to some. We give the same service we would to anyone who comes through the doors. We do have clients that come from all over New England, and some are in fact actors, djs, singers, and rappers.

CC: Where do you see Threadz in the future?

RK: Threadz will expand in many different ways. In the next 6 months we plan to do commercials, online magazine interviews, a email list of our products that will be sent to customers, and so much more.

CC: What are some of the brands that are in the store?

RK: We have ROCKSMITH, Sabit NYC, DOLO Brand, and so many others. You have to come in and check out our stuff.

CC: What advice can you give to those that want to make it in the fashion industry?

RK: You need to collaborate. Many people have different clothing lines and ideas but you need to work together and make your dreams come reality.