Consider this week’s article a continuation of my local finds from last week. I did a whole lot of browsing recently and I pondered a little on how we remember stores and categorize them in terms of style.
Far too often, when I walk into boutiques in Guyana I tend to find the same pieces. In many cases it becomes hard to differentiate and remember them as they score low points in areas such as uniqueness and individuality. This shared boutique identity also encourages price to be the main determining factor as to where the consumer goes, since most sell similar items. Whilst some haven’t done an excellent job at singling themselves out others have.
When I find a new boutique in Guyana, I always enjoy documenting it and sharing it because far too often, local women complain about a lack of variety. These one-off, good hit boutiques also usually get buried in the surplus of boutiques that pop up. A few things I look for when deciding whether or not a boutique is special is product range and buyer consistency to its niche.
I discovered Cameg’s Fashion House, which is located at 77 Hadfield Street, on social media, I believe it was. I fell in love with this striped draped shirt I saw. They don’t update their social media platforms every day, so I decided to visit to see if it was basically a one-off nice piece or whether there were similar items.
Your girl was left in absolute shock! Actually shock is a slight understatement. First and foremost there were hardly any jeans available. Most stores in Guyana usually ensure they stock a surplus of the market basics like jeans to cater for the average female shopper. Cameg’s product range is focused on a specific group of women. The selection of garments available are for any woman who shares the elegant style view. It is not necessarily into trends but more into style. Style and fashion are two different things.
While fashion moves as quickly as the trends trickle down, style is more focused on filtering timeless cuts, shapes and fabrics.
If you are looking for an investment piece or a sweet piece to splurge on Cameg’s is that type of store.
The selection of garments spanned elegant tops, dramatic culottes, delicate crochet and lace matching sets to name a few. There were a few trendy pieces in the mix but the majority of the garments exuded classy and different. The stock list of brands is relatively big but I found myself drawn to any item in store that was branded Gracia. My first purchase was this Gracia shirt. I paired it with these dog cheap jeans I got online on the Boohoo sale a year ago, Topshop heels and my Zara wannabe Celine bag.
The big question now is, is the pricing fair? I think so. The quality is definitely there and the selection is definitely on point. The price range for blouses can fall anywhere between $6,000 and $12,000. I found quite a lot of the pieces to be re-workable.
Like any other store, there is sale rack and you can find a few good investment pieces for a reasonable price. Of course, our tastes may vary but my sister and I were able to agree on the quality and timelessness of the pieces. However check them out and write me back at ashmajohn@online-runway.com I really would like to know your thoughts.
