Tired of gambling with online shops, Katherine McDonell decided to open her own alternative fashion boutique. Photos: Erin Hee.
A boutique selling Gothic and alternative clothes and accessories has set up shop in South Town Walk just in time for the spooky season, though owner Katherine McDonell thinks it can be “Halloween anytime if you like that sort of thing”.
House of Night carries an eclectic range of clothes and accessories with limited sizing, as Ms McDonell is trying to work out what the alternative crowd in Wagga wants.
So far, she’s discovered that the Mothman soft toys and anime-themed shirts are some of the more popular items. She’s already had requests to stock up on shirts from other popular series, such as Demon Slayer and Jujutsu Kaisen.
Ms McDonell said the Mothman dolls were proving popular.
Since the boutique’s opening, the Wagga local has been finding out how large the alternative crowd in Wagga is.
“I found there’s a fair bit,” she said.
“When you’re at work, you don’t really see them.”
Inspired by her love of young-adult fantasy series House of Night and the alternative fashion desert in Wagga, Ms McDonell decided it was time to fill the hole in the market.
“The only other place you can get them is online, so you have to take a chance,” she said.
“You never know if it’s going to fit or how much it’s going to cost to get it here, or if it’s even going to turn up.
“It’s risky, is the bottom line.”
Tired of taking a gamble when trying to fill in her wardrobe, Ms McDonell ditched her previous gig, which was Cafe Phoenix at Homebase, and started over at 51 years of age.
So far, she’s received nothing but positive feedback on her venture. Her Facebook post promoting the business racked up more than 800 likes, 185 comments and 50 shares, all expressing excitement for an offline alternative boutique.
Some people are even planning to make the trip to Wagga from neighbouring towns just to check out the store.
“Wagga has been missing this kind of shop for a long time,” one comment wrote. “We have never had one like this before. Good luck and love the name.”
Another commenter wrote: “Omg my little black heart is bleeding with anticipation and excitement”
There has been an alternative fashion desert in Wagga.
She plans to eventually expand her collection and do other things, but for now it’s just one step at a time for the adventurous businesswoman.
“I like the challenge of starting something new, and this was a challenge because I had a very limited budget,” she said.
“That’s why there’s only very small amounts, but I wanted to try and cover as many bases as I could.
“If you don’t try, you don’t know … and I’ve got to try it because if I don’t, I’ll always wonder.”
House of Night is in the South Town Walk in Baylis Street. It is open from 9 am to 5 pm on Tuesdays to Fridays, but closes at 3 pm on Saturdays.
