NEW BEDFORD — Claudia DeSousa-Baptista, a longtime New York tailor with an impressive resume working with big name brands like Gucci, Marc by Marc Jacobs, and The Children’s Place, has recently made a big move for her business.
Her shop, Bushwood Tailors Opportunity Shop, also known as the Opp Shop, has relocated from Kilburn Mill to 763 Purchase St. The new shop will be open Thursdays through Saturdays.
“I was itching to take the shop to the next level and felt I needed more exposure. Having a store front on ground level could help me with that,” DeSousa-Baptista said. “The right opportunity came up with the space on Purchase Street and I couldn’t say no.”
Bushwood Tailors Oppshop moved from Kilburn Mill to Purchase Street earlier this year.
DeSousa-Baptista’s husband’s barbershop (The Stepping Razor) is also a few doors down.
“I’ve always loved that block. It has beloved DNB institutions like No Problemo and Solstice plus awesome vintage stores like Hewn and The MadLila which compliment my shop quite nicely not to mention clothing stores Celia’s, Calico and Carter’s around the corners.”
Falling in love with fashion at a young age
Born and raised in Taunton by immigrant parents from the Azores, DeSousa-Baptista’s love for fashion began at a young age. Her aunt would take her and her siblings to the fabric store, igniting her passion for creating and altering garments. But it wasn’t until she moved her shop to Purchase Street that she said she truly felt she could take her business to the next level.
“Having my shop at Kilburn Mill was exactly what I needed to get started. It was an opportunity to experiment and see what customers gravitated to,” she said.
Claudia DeSouza-Baptista, owner of Bushwood Tailors Opportunity Shop, reopens her shop on Purchase Street in downtown New Bedford.
She discovered that many in the area were in need of a good tailor, especially since the previous tailor Gerry, had closed up shop.
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“I knew I had to streamline that side of the business because the work kept coming and I wasn’t prepared for it,” she added.
DeSousa-Baptista still has a studio space at Kilburn Mill where most of the sewing takes place. She said it allows her to focus on fittings at her shop downtown.
“I also learned that I needed to dedicate more time to the retail side of the shop if I’m going to succeed in getting these great local creatives’ work to sell. There are a lot of moving parts but I’m excited to get them going,” she said.
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What to expect inside the new shop
One major difference with the new shop is the addition of a vintage English haberdashery cabinet. It contains a variety of sewing notions, clothing repair kits, craft and dye kits, locally-made fabric patches, and plastic-free clothing and personal care items.
“It has a great old school vibe and makes me feel like a real shop keeper,” she said.
Despite the move, DeSousa-Baptista has made sure to maintain the same atmosphere and aesthetic as her previous location such as still playing music from her record player, and the fixtures are the same modular shelving created with Playwood Connectors.
Claudia DeSouza-Baptista, owner of Bushwood Tailors Opportunity Shop, reopens her shop on Purchase Street in downtown New Bedford.
“I’m excited to have store front windows and will be delving into some fun displays in the new year,” she said.
Plans to connect more with the community
DeSousa-Baptista has big plans for her shop in the new year with plans to host monthly pop-ups featuring artists and designers who prioritize sustainability in their work. These events will also tie in with AHA! Nights.
“We were open for the November edition and it was action packed,” she said. “I’d love to have slow fashion film screenings, and small sewing accountability groups to help people with their sewing projects. I’d love to collaborate with my neighbors too.”
She also shares her studio space with local fashion designer, Aidil Timas, and together they plan to offer sewing classes in the new year.
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“I would love people to also know that as much as we’re a tailor and clothing repair shop we are also a fun retail space for folks looking for fun, quirky, sustainable, handmade clothes and things,” she said.
“We’ll eventually have our own collection of upcycled pieces in the shop sometime next year.”
DeSousa-Baptista’s ultimate goal is to inspire people to get creative with what they wear. With her new shop, she hopes to continue to grow and become a staple in the New Bedford community.
“I’m hoping to inspire folks to get creative with what they wear and help them feel good in what they wear,” she said.
Standard-Times staff writer Seth Chitwood can be reached at schitwood@s-t.com. Follow him on twitter:@ChitwoodReports. Support local journalism by purchasing a digital or print subscription to The Standard-Times today.
This article originally appeared on Standard-Times: New Bedford Kilburn Mill shop Bushwood Tailors moves to Purchase Street