Driving down West Main Street in downtown Statesboro, you will notice a resurgence.
The former GeeDa’s restaurant is experiencing a resurrection into the Bull and Barrel Steak House and Mayor Jonathan McCollar has begun renovations on an event space beside the Averitt Black Box Theater.
However, the store that has created the most buzz of possibly any new, non-franchise store entering our market is Reflective Collective. Reflective Collective is located at 39 West Main Street, beside Statesboro Appliance just down from Charlie’s Funky Junk.
I am certain you have noticed their windows, especially if you have driven by at night. The window designs mirror what you would expect from high-end boutiques on Fifth Avenue in New York City, rather than rural Georgia. That is not by accident.
Reflective Collective is the brainchild of fashionista Jared Burnsed. Much of the store design, especially the windows, are from the masterful touch of Jared’s creative consultant Tre Knight. Knight is multi-talented, but is best known throughout the south and in New York City for his personal shopping and fashion styling for an impressive collection of clients.
To say they are turning the fashion market for women upside down in Statesboro would be an understatement. The most incredible secret in their formula, even though every inch of the store screams high end, very expensive, exclusive ladies boutique, is that their store is all that, but at a price you would not expect to pay.
The magic to all of this is that their store is a boutique stocked full of consigned clothing.
The store is curated selection of things they love and know their clients will adore. They are very selective with the items they consign, most of which look as though they have never been worn.
In fact, some items still have the original tags.
They accept all brands and like to remind clients that even though most people gravitate to well-known brands, often lesser known brands can be very fashionable.
It is not as much the brand name as it is with how it looks on you and makes you feel.
“Our desire is to bridge the gap between consignment and boutique making it a fashion experience, not just merely shopping,” Burnsed said. “Our greatest satisfaction is helping women accentuate the inner beauty they all possess. Through designing the perfect outfits for their personal style, we can boost their confidence and help them see themselves as beautifully as they truly are.”
The consignment industry has seen a huge uptick thanks to Netflix helping introduce Marie Kondo to the world of organization.
“Konmari” has now become a verb to describe decluttering and organization. Kondo walks you through a simplified process of finding joy in items cluttering your home, including your clothing. If it no longer brings you joy, then allow it to bring joy to someone else by getting rid of it. Hundreds of thousands Americans are doing just that.
“We are finding there are lots of ladies in Statesboro with amazing taste,” Bunsed said. “This, combined with GSU students bringing their fashion styles to our community, present a great opportunity for ‘curated consignment.’ Clean out your closets and bring them to us. We will pick the items that match our style and give the rest back to you or donate the rest to other consignment shops in town. We take a percentage to help sell the clothes for you and give the rest back to you in cash or store credit.”
Since opening the store two months ago, the word has quickly spread and they already have a faithful following of regular shoppers and consigners. What people love most is how they make everyone feel welcome and special. Reflective Collective has created a boutique experience, without the stuffiness of a boutique that often makes clients feel unwelcome.
Jared and Tre have tapped into a creative niche in our market. Shoppers love to find fashionable clothing at a great price and consigners love knowing that the clothes that have brought them so much joy, will soon be matched with someone else, extending that joy to them.
Stop in, welcome Jared and Tre to town, and experience firsthand what everyone in town is raving about.