By Jessica Legge
FAIRMONT — The Fashion Scene always sends its customers out looking their best for the particular occasion, Carol Potesta Mader said.
Carol owns the shop with her mother Rina Potesta, who opened the business in 1980 across the street from the present location. The Fashion Scene, stationed at 208 Adams St., will celebrate 30 years in business in February 2010.
Rina said the store has a variety of clothing and “a little bit of everything,” from sportswear for vacation to formal wear for special events. It offers coats and jackets, accessories, jewelry, evening and everyday handbags, and more. The staff, which also includes two part-time employees, can assist brides in finding items for their wedding and honeymoon.
The Fashion Scene buys original pieces and normally only purchases one of each special occasion dress. It carries products from reputable companies and features many clothing lines made in the United States, Carol said.
“It’s a little different, a little unique, not whatever you see everywhere,” Rina said. “The people like the merchandise we have.”
She and Carol are always looking for new, updated and quality garments. They have replaced some clothing lines over the years to fit the transitions in fashion.
Rina, originally from Italy, went to business school and tailoring school in Rome. She came to the United States in 1961 after marrying her husband, Robert. Rina quit sewing a couple years ago, but she did the alterations for the shop for a long time.
“I know how to fit the people, and I tell the truth,” she said. “They have to be comfortable (in the clothing).”
Rina opened The Fashion Scene when her daughter was in grade school. Growing up, Carol spent a lot of time in the shop working with her mom. Carol earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a two-year degree in fashion merchandising and retailing from Fairmont State.
“Actually the stuff I learned from my mom working in the (store) helped me with my studies because I was pretty much doing it day in and day out with her,” she said.
After graduating, Carol taught in Fairmont State’s fashion merchandising and interior design department for 10 years. Carol has lived in Greensburg, Pa., for a decade now, but “she’s still a very big part of our business,” her mother said.
“I definitely had a vested interest in Fairmont and still love it and love to come back and miss working with the customers,” Carol said.
Twice a year, she holds trunk shows for the store and basically turns the first level of her home into her mother’s boutique. Carol and Rina pick out a bunch of clothes and accessories and transport them to Greensburg to be displayed on racks set up in each room. Through these two-week shows, Carol is able to target a lot more people and give them access to The Fashion Scene’s merchandise.
“It works out great because I love doing that sort of thing and also it helps the store out,” she said. “It’s generated its own little excitement with the people down here.”
Rina said the store participates in bridal fairs in the area and used to do a lot of style shows for different organizations. The Fashion Scene has always supported local associations and has helped with many fundraisers and special events, Carol added.
The mother-daughter team has spent a lot of late nights and long hours at The Fashion Scene, Carol said.
“It’s a labor of love,” she said. “You’ve got to love what you do, because no one else is going to put into it what you put into it. I have a lot of respect for my mom for what she’s done. It’s something that she always wanted to do.”
The Fashion Scene works to help customers as much as possible and can provide assistance in accessorizing their outfits, Rina said. Carol said her mom has a large inventory at The Fashion Scene and knows the items inside and out.
“We try to do our best. They’re happy and they come back,” Rina said. “We try to accommodate everybody. Customers are very important when you have a business.”
“People continue to come back and support us because of the attention that they get and they know that we’re going to take care of them,” Carol said.
For more information, call The Fashion Scene at 304-366-4343.
E-mail Jessica Legge at jlegge@timeswv.com.
