Interview by Ashley Kronick, CRAVE Portland

Sandy Varzarschi came to the U.S. from Kazakhstan in 1994. Just a few months ago she was a soon to be mom with a landscaping business, who enjoyed making scarves and baby clothes as a hobby. When she saw that a local Lake Oswego gallery was for sale, she jumped at the chance for a huge career change, and just four weeks later opened her very own boutique. Silkwood is a fabulous and inviting store that truly has something for everyone. Whether you are shopping for a youngster, a casual lunch, or a night out on the town, you will find what you are looking for at this modern and stylish shop. With clothes from across the country and brought in from Europe, Silkwood has a ton of fabulous merchandise to offer shoppers.

You opened just over two months ago. What made you decide this is what you wanted to do and have you always done something like this professionally?
What I did was totally different. I was outdoors working rain or shine, (in Oregon it was more rain than shine), doing landscaping. I love the outdoors, I love nature, I love plants, and I love the creative aspects of creating beautiful designs around a house. I was doing that for 7 years. Then when I got pregnant, I couldn’t jump off the truck anymore. So, that’s when I was looking for something else to do, because I had to do something. I started making little clothes for what I thought was a little girl, Vivienne. Then of course little Vince came along and I had all of these clothes, which I had of course gotten carried away with and had too much of.

Eventually, I went to LA in March with my samples to promote my line. It’s fun to talk about. I actually stashed my samples in the back of my car and went shopping! I spent tons of money before I had the store! I came home with a car full of clothes and list of orders before I had the shop! It was very exciting. I bet people thought it was crazy. But, I got onto my landlord saying I need this place, you can’t lease it to anyone else, I got to have it, and I have to have it by May. So, April 15th I signed the lease, then May 15th we opened.

What would you say inspires you most and keeps you motivated in this business?
You know what, it’s the feedback that I get from people. When I get that feedback 10-20 times a day, oh my god, I get so pumped, I get so motivated. When people call me and say I wore one of your pieces last night for a big meeting, and everyone loved it, and I felt great in it. That’s what it is.

I also have support. Neighbors from the business around here are great support. They want to see me succeed because we all represent the community.

Running a boutique like this is a lot of work and long hours, but when you do have free time, how do you spend it?
Oh as much time as I can spend with my baby is so important. I actually tried to bring him to the store. Not a good idea! He just started walking and puts everything in his mouth. Any minute I get I run home and grab him. We either stay home and play or go to the park.

What do you do when you get time to de-stress and relax? Do you have an indulgence during these times?
Going to a great restaurant and not worrying about washing dishes and cleaning up.
There’s not much time relax. In the back of my head, there is always the store. Somebody said “to avoid working from 9-5 you open your own business and end up working 24 hours a day” and that’s true. It takes everything. You always think of something; something to add and something to change. It’s actually not a stressful business for me though. It’s something that I just found out I can do.

Knowing everything you know now, is there anything that you would do differently? Any advice you could give new business owners?
Have a passion for it, and a good location with the right customers is really important. I can’t think of anything that I regret. There might be a few minor things I would change, but this is my second or third business so I try to be really careful and stick to what works in order to succeed.

What is your favorite thing about owning your own business?
Having no boss!

I know you attended the Up in the Air fashion show that we hosted recently with Mabel and Zora and Popina Swimwear. Is it important in your business to stay connected to the community in that way?
Oh yes and I would have even loved the opportunity to actually participate. Great boutiques took part in it and I wanted to be a part of it. In my head, while all the girls were coming out, I was dressing them in my clothes. It was a lot of fun.

You stress that you are environmentally conscious in terms of the products you sell. Why is this important to you?
If we could all do even a little bit, every one of us, a little bit to help clean up the mess that we’ve left, it’s really important. It’s also really good for your body. It’s good for your body to wear something that wasn’t made with chemicals. Especially for babies, it’s so important because their skin is so sensitive. All of my kid’s clothes here are organic.

You make an effort to bring in new and emerging local designers. Why was this something you felt was important to do with Silkwood?
It’s all about community. Obviously they have to offer something, not just be mainstream. Whether it’s a fabric, an idea, or style, but it’s really important to support the community.

What would you say your most popular line is? Is this also your favorite?
My French line because of the uniqueness. People want to look unique. They want to have something special on, not something that just covers your body, but something that makes a statement. I have a favorite in every line.

Finally, what comes next for Silkwood?
I have great plans. I’ve already had people coming to shop here from Seattle. Maybe I’ll take it to Seattle one day when it’s established. We’ll see how it goes.