BY DUSICA SUE MALESEVIC | Successful small business owner Marissa Sabatelli, who opened her second clothing store earlier this month at 410 W. 24 St. at London Terrace, knew from a very young age what she was passionate about.
“My mother would take me to the garment district when I was like six to dress my babies, my little dolls, in the sample clothes that they had,” Sabatelli, 32, recalled in a phone interview. “I just always loved everything about design…personal style and helping people feel good about themselves inside and out.”
She added, “I wanted to dress people the way I would dress my dolls, and keep everything beautiful the way I would keep everything in my room, in my playroom. I just wanted to be able to do that for the public.”
The urge to dress people like her dolls started a trajectory that led to Sabatelli now owning two boutiques: Gossip in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn and Marissa’s Closet (marissascloset.com) in Chelsea.
Born and raised in Brooklyn, Sabatelli grew up in Bensonhurst, and now resides in Dyker Heights. When she was 18, she started working in retail at Kleinfeld Bridal.
“When I started working at Kleinfeld, it really made me realize that this is what I wanted to do, because you’re helping brides and their families with the most important thing that’s happening to them at the moment — their wedding,” said Sabatelli. “That was what made me know for sure that was the career path that I wanted to chose.”
After Kleinfeld, she worked for other companies, building her retail experience as she went to school full-time. First, she attended Kingsborough Community College and then New York University, studying communications and hospitality.
After finishing college, Sabatelli got married. As a wedding gift, her family helped her open her first store, Gossip, six years ago. By working the wholesale side of things earlier, she had learned the industry inside and out — knowing how to order, going to Fashion Week, visiting her accounts and setting up at trade shows.
“So I had a really solid foundation behind me when it came to opening my business,” she explained. “Learning business on a small scale, like a mom and pop business, which is really what I am right now, that was something new for me because I was always working with bigger businesses.”
Gossip’s first location was in Bay Ridge. Two years later, it moved to its current location in Bensonhurst.
Sabatelli said she was very fortunate in starting her first store, and always envisioned opening a second location in Manhattan. Even though she is a Brooklynite, she said she’s spent a lot of time in the city.
A good friend stumbled upon the perfect location in Chelsea this July.
“I was so excited. It fit my budget and I loved the building,” said Sabatelli, who rents space in the building. “London Terrace is just beautiful, so I jumped on it,” she recalled. “It’s a beautiful block in a great area. There are so many things here, so I figured, why not?”
By mid-August, Sabatelli signed a lease and “we started our construction work almost immediately. We gave it pretty much a makeover. It needed a nice fresh coat of paint. The floors needed to be finished.”
She took out things that weren’t needed, like the kitchen, and put in new lighting and chandeliers. To coincide with the yearly London Terrace Street Fair, Sabatelli had a soft opening on Sept. 26. The grand opening was the first weekend of this month.
“It’s really nice to be able to come in and do what you love every day,” she said. “The community is just so warm, so welcoming, there’s all different types of people that I deal with on a daily basis, that I love.”
Sabatelli said her store “offers staple pieces that every wardrobe needs. Quality is a major factor. I make sure to touch and feel all the clothing before I actually order it.”
These are pieces a woman can build upon, she said, such as ponchos sweaters, mini skirts, leggings and jeans, including as skinny and boyfriend cuts.
“It’s a great mix of day-to-day, and then your options of what’s trending right now, or if you have a date night or you’re going from work to play,” she said. “I try to make everything very versatile, because we’re all busy.”
Marissa’s Closet also has a full-service salon that includes makeup. London Terrace residents receive special discounts, she said.
Focusing on customer service and building a rapport with her customers is the secret to her success, she said.
“I’ve watched some of my customers’ kids grow up at this point, and I love that,” she explained. “I love the fact that customers from my Brooklyn location came to support me here over [my opening] weekend [in Chelsea]. These things mean a lot and I think that’s really what sets me apart.”
And Sabatelli is not stopping with just two locations.
“I’m definitely trying to create a chain,” she said. “I’d love to have fifty of these stores one day.”
