Over 20 years ago, Nita Brown was changing in the locker room at a local YMCA and her locker mate, Theresa Mazzullo, complimented her clothes. It was their usual interaction. Brown, who grew up learning about fashion from her seamstress mother and grandmother in Ghana, had been combining traditional Ghanaian patterns and fabrics with modern silhouettes for years. When she worked at Kodak, she would wear a tailored jacket instead of the usual cardigan. Her clothes made her stand out, and the constant compliments pushed her to launch Mansawear, a boutique on Park Avenue named after her grandmother, in 2013.
“My style is a unique fusion: modern-themed Ghanaian fabrics blended with mix-and-match pieces from my existing wardrobe, what I call ‘The Mashup,’” Brown said.
Aneela Perwez, who immigrated to the United States from Pakistan in 2005 and lived in New York City before moving to Rochester, had similar experiences. She would be decked out in cotton salwar kurtas while shopping at Wegmans and get stopped constantly.
“I would be told I’m wearing beautiful clothes,” she said. “People wanted to buy them and would ask me for recommendations, but there was no place to buy Pakistani clothes in Rochester.”
In New York City, the South Asian community was large so buying fabrics and traditional clothing was not an issue. In Rochester, however, online shopping was Perwez’s only option.
“I was always shopping for clothes online, but the colors look different in pictures,” she said. “You can’t feel the fabric; you can’t tell if the embroidery is cheap or sturdy.”
In 2022, Perwez opened the by appointment-only Riwaayat Fashion Boutique next to her family’s Brighton Xpress Mart on Monroe Avenue. Shoppers will often find her working at the mart as she sets up client appointments and takes care of her three children.
“‘Riwaayat’ means tradition,” she said. “That’s what I wanted to see in Rochester.”
For both the boutiques, customization is key. Shoppers walk in, browse through the fabrics and readymade pieces, and then they can order something truly unique. Bridalwear, engagement parties, or just a casual day out — everything’s on the table.
Mansawear’s clothes are made in Ghana and Riwaayat’s clothes are made in Pakistan, their respective home countries, and both women have local tailors and seamstresses on call for any alterations. Most importantly, both sell beautiful, one-of-a-kind clothes — a rare treat in today’s fast fashion-obsessed world.
“Rochester is a very cosmopolitan city,” Brown said. “No one is boxed in by fashion trends. My store starts a conversation. My customers are my community.”
But she adds it wasn’t an easy journey.
“When I started, it was the age of dial-up internet,” said Brown. “It wasn’t easy to send orders to Ghana. I got my MBA from Georgetown in 2000. The industry has completely changed since then. I had to adapt.”
Today, Brown teaches a course on entrepreneurship at Monroe Community College and also presents in local K-12 schools, offering internships to high schoolers and reiterating that immigrant businesses play a huge role in the larger Rochester community.
Because of Brown and Perwez, West African and South Asian communities have a place to get their clothes, but some customers worry about cultural appropriation.
“If I rely on the Ghanaians to buy my clothes, I’ll be broke,” Brown, adding that the Ghanaian community in Rochester has shrunk since the downsizing and restructuring of Kodak and Xerox.
“Sixty percent of my business comes from white women,” she said. “I used to do social media shoutouts for the amazing people who visited my store. But three years ago, I turned it into a blog on my website. These women are city counselors, educators and executives. Their stories inspire me and I’m so glad that the store brought me closer to them.”
Perwez found her way to the larger Asian community through Riwaayat, designing clothes for Afghani and Turkish brides while connecting with Indians and other Pakistanis in the area.
“Americans love our clothes, but they don’t know where to find them,” she said. “When they get invited to Indian weddings, they need help selecting the appropriate outfits and jewelry. I can guide them and it’s always a very positive experience. They know my clothes are authentic.”
At the mall, Perwez finds a lot of modern brands inspired by traditional South Asian clothing.
“There’s a resemblance. Everyone is making our scarves and kurtas now. But the embellishments and embroidery we can provide, especially with our affordable costs, is unbeatable,” she said. “Plus, Americans can understand our fashion more through the store.”
In a world of mass-produced clothing and short trend cycles, both women are here to stay as fashion continues to evolve.
“You grow into your style,” Brown said. “That’s why I always say I want to design clothing that lifts you.”
Suhasini Patni is a freelance writer from Jaipur and Rochester. Her work has appeared in “Los Angeles Review of Books,” “Asympote Journal,” “Mekong Review” and elsewhere.
