‘I’m just so excited to see what she does.’ Fashion collective set to open in Bellefonte
A vintage and modern fashion collective is set to open its first storefront Wednesday in downtown Bellefonte, the latest evolution for a first-time business owner who dropped working as a hair stylist to run down a dream.
Shae Nouveau, a cozy space at 141 W. High St. filled Friday with sunlight pouring through large windows and enough Taylor Swift music to keep even the most passionate fans happy, is the embodiment of owner Linsey O’Rourke’s first love.
The 27-year-old who earned a superlative in high school as the most fashionable — or best dressed, the exact wording eluded her Friday — beamed as she sat among pieces of clothing that she handpicked from thrift stores.
“It’s just so full circle seeing every part of your life come together in a spot that you never knew was possible,” O’Rourke said. “It’s wild.”
O’Rourke was raised in rural Bedford County by a single mother, the middle child with an older brother and sister and two younger stepsisters. Bargain shopping was ingrained in her at a young age.
Shopping at thrift stores, O’Rourke said, is “therapeutic.” Searching for a diamond in the rough amid a sea of clothes that others no longer found use in is titillating.
She first sold her finds on Poshmark, a social commerce marketplace known as a spot for people to sell clothes and items they want to get out of their closest. O’Rourke wanted more than that.
Each piece she sells is handpicked, part of a larger collection of items she found specifically for customers. She launched a website in summer 2021. Then she began selling inside Belle Mercantile, as well as pop-up shops throughout Centre County.
It was proof of concept.
“If I thought it was an attainable goal, I would have done something with fashion right away,” O’Rourke said. “But my thoughts were the only options were fashion designer in LA or New York City, or being a manager a retail store. Those were all I thought could happen. Nobody told me that curating a boutique was an option.”
When her friend and Lock Boutique owner Lydia Shafer told her she was relocating to to downtown State College, O’Rourke jumped at the opportunity to take the space over.
O’Rourke, Shafer said, is a “hardworking, super kind, thoughtful individual.”
“I’m so excited for her to be in that space. The minute I knew that I would probably be moving out, she was the first person I contacted to see if she’d be interested in it because it’s such a prime location in Bellefonte,” Shafer said. “It has such good energy and I’m just so excited to see what she does with the space and the magic she creates in there because I know it’s going to be a huge success. It’s going to be such an amazing thing to have in the community.”
O’Rourke calls Mifflin County home, but said she makes the drive over the mountain because Bellefonte is “so nice and welcoming.”
Shae Nouveau is scheduled to be open 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, as well as 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday and Saturday. A grand opening is set Saturday.
“I am excited to have a space for people to come and find pieces of clothing that make them feel like themselves or make them feel good in the moment that they’re in,” O’Rourke said. “I feel like so often society says that we need to be X, Y or Z. Where I, personally, feel different every single day with my style or what I want to dress like or how I want to feel. I want this to be a place where people can come and find something that makes them happy.
“As long as I can keep doing that, that’s what I want from it.”
