When you walk into the “Fashion Place” clothing boutique you’ll see a sign on the wall that reads “new arrivals,” but there’s a long Detroit history there, decades in the making.
“I came here in 1982, November of 1982, 40 years that I’ve been here,” Emmalene Hunter, Owner of The Fashion Place told “Live in the D’s” April Morton. By here, Mrs. Hunter means inside the historic Fisher Building.
Hunter says, yes she’s been in the biz a while, but she didn’t start out in fashion. “I thought I would do some accounting work and do something like that, but then when I started working with my brother-in-law in between my getting married and searching for another job, I said ok I like this.” Her brother-in-law at the time owned multiple men’s clothing stores and her sister also had a clothing boutique, so fashion was all around Hunter, plus the need to want more for herself.
“I just knew I had the desire to be my own boss, to take control of my own destiny,” Hunter said.
After having her own store for 2 years on Detroit’s Eastside, that destiny would bring her to The Fashion Place. She credits having a special relationship with her customers for her longevity. “What your customer wants; what they want in their closet; what they wanna look like; how they wanna feel; and just follow in their footsteps; follow what their thoughts are; knowing your customers and appreciating what they want to have on.”
Hunter says she can dress you from head to toe and has sizes ranging from 6-3x. When asked where she see’s the business in the future, she says, hopefully still growing, she has no plans of slowing down.
To see the full interview, click the video above.