EMILY’S, A STATEN ISLAND STAPLE FOR 36 YEARS, EXPANDS ITS LINES AND ITS VISION

BY JENNIFER VIKSE • PHOTOS BY ROBERT NUZZIE

For going on 36 years, Emily Rassias has been a part of women’s lives on Staten Island. Whether it’s teens picking out a perfect Sweet Sixteen or prom dress or their mothers shopping for special occasions, her boutique, Emily’s, on Richmond Road in Dongan Hills, has long helped the borough’s ladies look and feel their best.

When Rassias opened her store in 1982, she focused on sportswear mostly work and play but realized rather quickly that her clients were interested in more. In 1990, the store underwent its first expansion, doubling in size to accommodate a growing clientele.

“As things progressed, we got busier. There was a huge demand for evening wear and special occasion wear,” said Rassias, who doubled her space again in 1999 when she created an evening wear salon. There she could show elegant gowns to her clients in a comfortable, private setting.
Last year, she expanded the business once more. “The space next door became available, which added another 1,000 square feet, so we redid everything,” she said. “Now we have beautiful and private fitting rooms. It’s given us a better way to display and share all merchandise. It’s more like a showroom.”

Interiors are done in elegant grays and silver, and boast three chandeliers, tufted velvet furniture, and ne wall coverings under a tray ceiling. The expansion was finished last October, and the result is exactly what Rassias had intended.

“I wanted to create a more comfortable, luxurious environment,” she said, to complement the customer service Emily’s has become known for. “I want clients to be able to select from curated collections. I travel all over…search different boutiques. I try to find the best.”

The new showroom, she added, makes it easier for customers.

“Every area has a private section. Some women come in looking for a gown for a special event, but they come with somebody else; they never come alone. So this is nice,” she said. “It gives them the opportunity to have space and be comfortable.”

Buying a special occasion dress online isn’t advisable, Rassias explained, since its vital to see how cuts, colors, and silhouettes actually look on the body.

“You need to try it on,” the owner stated flatly. “It’s important to have that in store experience.”

For Rassias, inviting people into the showroom is like having them visit her house she wants it to be a memorable experience. “I’m Greek,” she quipped. “We feed you, we take care of you…we want you to be happy.”

The expansion has also allowed Rassias to devote more space to sportswear. She carries a range of designers, including Elie Tahari, Nanette Lepore, and Lafayette 148 New York.

The store and showroom meld with the sales staff, whose collective goal is to make visitors feel welcome and informed.

“It’s the whole package. We want them to feel good about themselves. We want them to find the perfect things, feel confident, feel good about their purchase,” Rassias said, adding that she has an expert seamstress who “can do anything, because things need to be tweaked and fitted just so.”

And the salespeople know the clientele, Rassias added.

“Everyone styles differently. My people like to look a certain way. Some like a jazzy look… beaded pieces, for example. We work together as a team really well,” she said. “We help each other.”

Since she’s been working with the same loyal customers for some time, Rassias said, she and her team know their likes and dislikes. She keeps those relationships in mind when picking out new pieces for her collection. She also invites designers in for trunk shows. “Bringing in a new designer helps us get a feel. How do pieces fit? Are they right for our clientele? It’s important to see a whole collection and get a read on it,” she said, adding with a smile that clients tend to pick the same pieces she would pick for them.

“They almost always end up buying what we select,” she said. “We’ve been here for 36 years. We know what they want.”

The owner also knows more about her clients than just their style preferences. In fact, she said, they’re almost like extended family.

“It’s not a one-time sale. We sell some girls their prom dresses; now we’re doing dresses for their engagement party, rehearsal dinner, and shower. It’s nice to be part of that experience,” she said. “We sell things for happy occasions. What’s better than that?”

Emily’s
1654 Richmond Road / 718.351.0979 / emilysny.com