The Pink Hanger is a staple of Charlotte’s burgeoning style scene, a fashion-forward, contemporary boutique nestled in the Cotswald neighborhood. It’s a bright, airy space with wood floors and racks of brightly colored clothes against the walls. If it looks cozy, that’s because it is in fact something of a second home and haven for owner Whitney Avishar.
Whitney is a force, and the type of shop owner you hope for when stepping inside a locally-owned business: She’s bubbly and involved, present for each customer who steps inside, and, naturally, she clearly knows more than a thing or two about women’s clothing. That’s what lights Whitney up – helping her clients, and spreading her fashion expertise wide and far.
“The best compliments I’ve gotten throughout the years are from customers who self-admittedly hate shopping and trying on clothes, but love it when they come to us,” Whitney says. “We genuinely love putting together outfits for people and helping them find their style.”
Whitney, who grew up on the west coast of Florida, moved to Charlotte with her husband after college. Both had careers in the banking world. In many ways, Avishar has been witness to some of Charlotte’s biggest moments, watching it evolve over the past two decades – “It was such a different city back then,” she muses. Choosing to leave corporate America and open up The Pink Hanger allowed Avishar to add to the fabric of the city herself at an opportune moment.
Avishar answered some of our biggest questions about everything from business ownership to style influencers.
Have you always loved clothing and fashion?
Yes! I grew up the child of parents who were in the retail/buying world, so I have many memories of sitting in on vendor meetings at a young age. When I opened The Pink Hanger ten years ago, I saw a need for a boutique where the primary focus was customer service and making each person feel valued. My family has always had a very entrepreneurial spirit so they really encouraged me and helped give me the confidence to make it happen.
| Tell us about the process of starting the business. When we first opened the doors in 2007, I had two employees and my hubby was one of them (laughs). I worked seven days a week, and never wanted a customer to come in the store and not get my personal attention. It was such an amazing time and I loved every minute of it, even though I was living on coffee fumes. Now that I have two young kids, I’m only here three days a week. It’s still my first baby, so I try to give it as much love as I can, but I am super lucky to have an incredible team of women who help me run the store. I literally couldn’t do this without them. What inspired the name “The Pink Hanger”? How has the shop evolved over the years? How would you describe the fashion scene in Charlotte?
Fashion moves so quickly – where do you get inspiration from? As Charlotte continues to expand, where do you see The Pink Hanger in the next few years? |
