It's Tuesday and besides only being two days into the work week, it means another great Guest Blog Post! Today we would like to introduce to you to Jess from Fresh Jess. As a board member of Y.E.S. director of events for the Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce, and fashionable lady- Jess brings a (fresh) point of view to her blog. Please be sure to stop by her blog! Enjoy!
"I am a huge fan of supporting local small businesses with an appreciation for international culture and an organic nature of community. I believe there’s no better example of such a place than Moksha, a boutique and art repository located on the eclectic University Ave. in the U-District.
I started shopping at Moksha since its inception seven years ago, during my cash-strapped days as a student at UW. Fast forward to now, as a young professional I’ve found myself a loyal customer and quite possibly its biggest fan . I have always appreciated the world flair in Moksha’s offering of clothing and accessories. Its staff is as unique and stylish as the merchandise, but unlike a lot of small boutiques, they are incredibly NICE and helpful to everyone who comes through the space. Moksha goes above & beyond its counterparts by reaching out to the arts community, featuring a new artist on its walls every month (don’t miss their Third Thursday art opening parties!)
Moksha is also a staple at some of Seattle’s best community events, including: Folklife, the Bite of Seattle, Hempfest and the University District Street Fair. At this year’s street fair, I had the pleasure of meeting Moskha owner Aleph Geddis. Aleph’s kindly answered a few of my questions to give us more about the beauty that is Moksha."
Moksha just celebrated its 7 year anniversary last month. What inspired you to create & open the store?
Moksha was inspired by Joanna Segault and my travels around the world. We traveled extensively in Asia and got really blown away by India and all of its color. Moksha is a culture clash of our experiences. It started out more ethnic but has been going the urban direction since the beginning. It was a fun process to see Moksha take on its own identity after opening, it seems to have a mind of its own.
The store has gone through some changes over the past year. What drives your vision for Moksha now?
I love old things, as you can see with all the trunks and suitcases plus I love pop culture. My vision mixing these worlds and bringing the people interesting things from around the world. In the big picture i would like Moksha to to help build culture art.
What does "Moksha" mean?
Moksha means “liberation from the cycles of rebirth” in Sanskrit
Describe those who love shopping at Moksha.
Our supporters are free thinkers, people who understand our crazy mix of things. We do not buy large runs of anything, so our patrons know that that their clothing is unique, not everywhere .
You travel to Thailand and other places to bring unique & interesting pieces back to the store. What is your inspiration when buying for Moksha?
I love buying directly from the people who are making the clothes. That way i know what I am supporting. I am always amazed at what people come up with, and how creative they are. This is what inspires me; I love the mix of old culture with modern city life in Asia. In the US there is such a lag time between thought and creation, because we do not manufacture anything. In Asia when there is an idea the next week it is in physical form.
What are you most excited about for fall (or the near future) at Moksha? New merchandise, artists on the horizon? Any other great projects or ideas brewing for Moksha's future?
I am really excited about the next two art shows: Pocket Full of Monsters in September and then Luke Yates in October. We are having a customer appreciation party/tweet up on Sept 11th. E.R. Don is playing with Tyler of Truckasaurus and DJ Introcut is also playing. We are having a keg and lots of give aways from Green Apple Tree, Obey, Brixton, Cole and many more.
I am planning to go to India this winter. We have not had much new stuff from India for a few years so I am really excited to see what I can find.
Don’t miss Moksha at the Boutique Culture Warehouse Sale, August 29-30 at the Fremont Studios. For more on Fresh Jess, please visit her Blog!
