Sydney Plaskey’s passion in life includes shopping for the latest trends and giving creative gifts.
“I have a little shop in my house,” Blasky, 29, said. “It’s just for myself, basically a closet, but it’s the whole bedroom. I was laughing with friends, ‘I’m going to make it real now.'”
The First time The business owner is preparing to open a new fashion boutique, Sunny’s on the Corner, in downtown Brighton.
She said she is excited to combine her background in marketing with her love of shopping and gift giving to run the boutique.
The boutique will focus on women’s clothing, accessories and shoes, and will also offer children’s clothing and some items for men, including vintage sportswear.
Plaskey will take over a storefront at 334 W. Main St. in May after the old Bink & Babs store closed for business at the end of this month.
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She said she hopes to open in early July.
She also plans to take part in the upcoming Spring Ladies Night Out shopping event on May 5th. And while her store won’t be established by then, she plans to have a small selection of fashion items for sale to give shoppers a preview of the types of products it will sell.
Another room in her house, her dining room, is full at the moment.
“My dining room is full of stock and supplies for the store at the moment,” she said.
Thousands of items are hanging in their online shopping carts, ready for them to buy in the store.
“I’m looking forward to the trade shows to attend,” she said. “I’ll be able to see some of the designers in person.”
She said she wanted to sell fashion items “that would be a little more intense.”
“I think a lot of stores are looking for a more laid-back, cute look, and I wear a lot of that myself, but I think this store would pick something a little more exciting and trendy,” she said. “We’ll have some pretty light-colored dresses too, but I’m not afraid of cowboy boots and bright colors.”
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Her search for the perfect stock for her store also took her to markets in the Detroit area, and she’s been associated with vintage sportswear brands.
“I talk to a few brands that recreate the old Lions logo or print an old Michigan T-shirt (Wolverines). It’s not what you find in bookstores in Michigan or Michigan State. It will be more unique designs,” she said.
The design of the said store will also have a retro feel.
She said she plans to create some custom logos herself, using the graphic design and typography skills she’s gained from working in marketing.
Previously, she worked for Livonia-based Valassis, for about seven years, and worked in various stores as an undergraduate. She and her husband Jamie Blasky, who works in downtown Brighton at financial planning firm Executive Wealth Management, live nearby in South Lyon.
Sunny’s on the Corner will have an online presence, including social media channels.
“I’m going to have a big online store, everything in the store is online, and a lot of social media,” Sidney Blasky said.
She said she loves collecting gift baskets for her friends and family and will give some “carry and carry” baskets with a selection of items for baby showers, graduation parties and other celebrations.
“I rarely buy something off the shelf and just give it away,” she said. “They always have multiple parts that hold together.”
One of the ideas I came up with for a baby shower was a box full of swimming gear, like baby swimwear and baby sunscreen.
She said the store will sell themed baskets that people can pick up and take to events.
The store could also have a small selection of gifts or home décor items, but she said that wouldn’t be the focus of the store.
Barb Binkley said several people expressed interest in the space, which she wanted to keep retail.
“I love, I love her ideas,” Binkley said. “I love the old look you’re using. I think it would be spot on, because we don’t have that in Brighton.”
She and her husband decided to close Bink & Babs, which opened in 2012, to focus on their other downtown Brighton business, Cooper & Binkley Jewelers.
Binkley said she was impressed by Plaskey’s background in marketing and retail.
“I think it’s going to hit the ground running,” she said. “She’s a community person and her husband works downtown. She’ll have support from day one. She has a great style, so I know I’m going to be shopping there.”
Contact Livingston Daily reporter Jennifer Temar at [email protected].
