Member Spotlight: Michelle Fortezzo, Store Manager, Nic & Zoe

 

 Lake/Forest Lake Bluff Chamber:  Share with us the story behind the Nic & Zoe brand and what makes your clothing so unique?

MF: Nic and Zoe are led by a Mother/Daughter team.  Nic and Zoe was founded to help real women feel like their most put-together, confident, beautiful selves.  A family of passionate makers, artists, designers and doers, were maybe a little obsessed with working to create unique artful style that’s actually comfortable.

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LF/LB: What inspired Nic & Zoe to open a Lake Forest Location?

MF:  Nic and Zoe is based in Boston -- most of our 13 stores are on the East coast with Lake Forest being our only store in Illinois.  We try and open stores in unique locations that reflect our customers lifestyles. 

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LF/LB: What is your vision or hope for the future of your business?

MF: Working to create and maintain relationships with our clients and women new to our brand.  We started as a wholesale business and have added free staffing stores.  Being able to showcase our entire line including petite sizes has helped in the overall shopping experience.

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LF/LB:  How does Nic & Zoe support the local community?

MF:  We are always looking for ways to be a part of the community.  Last summer we were a sponsor for the Deer Path Art League and held numerous events giving a portion of our store sales to local organizations that our customers support. 

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LF/LB: Is there anything else you would like to share about your team or Nic & Zoe?

MF:  Our team is committed to creating a meaningful experience in our store.  We celebrated our one-year anniversary last September here in Market Square and have been thrilled to be a part of such a vibrant community.  We look forward to many more years of being a destination for women’s clothing needs.