A new men’s and women’s clothing store opened recently at 202 West Main Street in Grass Valley just in front of the crosswalk entering the Mill Street Plaza.
Septembers is a premium denim clothing boutique offering a variety of labels selected by the owners, Jene Morrison and Jason Wohlgemuth.
“We want to be different from everybody else downtown,” Morrison said. “So you really want to make a conscious effort to not carry the same things as everybody else. We had to kind of curate our own work.”
Morrison and Wohlgemuth purchased the building for their boutique which got its name from the fact that the couple both have birthdays in the month of September.
“We’re just excited to be downtown and part of the community,” Morrison said.
The doors of the new shop just opened in September — of course — and Morrison said that the foot traffic has been steady from the Mill Street Plaza, the hotel, and the restaurants on the same block.
“We’re pretty happy with our location,” Morrison said.
The opportunity came up to purchase the building when it came on the market, and the couple made an offer, according to Wohlgemuth.
The former clothing store was renting, and Wohlgemuth and Morrison think owning the building is part of a more flexible business plan.
The owners of Septembers curate the particular brands and labels available in the boutique, such as Citizens of Humanity, a Los Angeles based premium denim label, and Marine Layer, a designer out of San Francisco who uses absurdly soft fabrics.
The logo on the couple’s business cards reads: “Real. Cool. Clothes,” and that pretty much says it all.
The couple have fun buying and selecting particular looks that they think their customers will go for, according to Wohlgemuth.
The terry cloth polo shirt with the sunset colored lines reminds shoppers of shirts worn in high school a couple of decades ago.
“A new brand for men — it’s called Taylor Stitch — it’s all made in the USA,” Wohlgemuth said. “We feel pretty stoked to have their menswear here.”
Taylor Stitch denim is rigid and has a dark, woven look that can be casual or formal, according to Wohlgemuth.
“It reminds me of Levi’s back when, remember the 501? And they have shrink defense,” Wohlgemuth said.
Another brand in the men’s line is called Iron and Resin, with slim, modern tailoring and heavy durable denim.
“These guys were in the fashion industry, and they got real burned out on corporate,” Wohlgemuth said. “Basically, they said, ‘We’re going to do this one more time. We’re gonna do it our way.’ And so we got them coming in.”
Another brand called ACE Rivington out of Santa Barbara have a similar story to tell about how they started up their label.
“They’re called ACE Rivington, and about 11 years ago, the guy, who was an architect, went to his wife and said, ‘Hey, honey, I want to sell a house and take all the money from the house and put it into a brand of clothes.’ The wife said, ‘You’re an architect, you’re out of your mind.’ Took him three years and she finally said yes, and they’ve been thriving ever since. So it’s pretty cool,” Wohlgemuth said.
The modern labels and the story behind the businesses has some resemblance to Wohlgemuth and Morrison themselves.
Both have another business or their own in addition to Septembers clothing.
Morrison owns Ladybird Aesthetics, located at 901 LaBarr Meadows Suite D in Grass Valley which offers facials, chemical peels, and treatments to help to control acne.
Wohlgemuth and his partners have a construction company, and moved to the area 30 years ago from Southern California.
“To be honest with you, my wife, it’s been her vision. She’s got the eye,” Wohlgemuth said. “I was lucky enough to be able to build it for her; she was my helper, and I was her helper, and we did it all together. We’re pretty, pretty proud of it.”
Along with men’s and women’s labels, Septembers carries Loop Couture handbags that are sustainably crafted, washable, durable, lightweight and unique.
Anette Kaiser-Rott, who lives in the area, is the head designer and proprietor of Loop Couture handbags which are made from one continuous cord crocheted into a handbag, according to Morrison.
The handbags are made with unique quality materials sourced from Europe and beyond, including soft nylon ropes and natural vegan cork from the Mediterranean, according to the Loop Couture website.
Accessories, fragrances, and art created by local artists are also part of the shopping experience at Septembers.
Septembers offers a comfortable shopping experience as well, according to Morrison.
“It’s laid out a little different, a little simpler,” Morrison said. “It’s specialized, like, specially picked and chosen, right? And then just, we wanted it to be really clean and not super cluttered and just kind of an easy way to shop.”
The shop is airy and spacious with well-lit dressing rooms, and never a feeling of being crowded.
The prices are similar to other shops in the area.
The shop is dog friendly also, according to Wohlgemuth.
The couple have plans for exhibiting local artists’ work throughout the store, and currently have wind-chimes and statuary.