About Aria Boutique
Venturing up Regina's Scarth Street the city's newest, most expressive fashion boutique is drawing a steady clientele. Opened in October, 2005, Aria Boutique is the creation of Tammy Beltrami. Beltrami, born and raised in Saskatchewan, fled for California and studied at Brooks College in Long Beach. Beltrami has lived in Vancouver, London, England and Italy. After years in the film industry, Beltrami decided to go back to her early roots in fashion and marketing and take the plunge into what some may argue is the country’s toughest market for designer clothing.
Agriculture based businesses and the provincial government employ much of Regina’s workforce. With downtown parking at a premium, high taxes and the severity in weather, many retailers and potential customers gravitate towards the plethora of malls and chain stores that circle much of the city.
Beltrami was undaunted by those who said the downtown core was a tough place to do business. "I wanted to be somewhere that felt more urban," she says. "It had to be somewhere accessible from the street. It had to look and feel like a boutique in a larger urban center."
Beltrami had some other goals in mind too. She wanted to sell work by Canadian designers who were not available in Regina and whose clothing appealed to real women who had a love for fashion, no matter what their age. As a result, customers can walk into the thousand foot display space-- wood floor, white walls, red velvet change rooms, red furniture and a glamorous crystal chandelier—and treat themselves to lines by Mackage, Rudsak, Andy The-Anh, Chulo Pony, Alix K, Cirque du Soleil, Lilliput Hats, ca va de soi and more.
"One of my favourite lines," says Beltrami, "is Montreal's Collection Iris. She designs and cuts for real women. The fit is amazing."
With jewellery from designers like The Right Hand Gal and Claudia Accessories, purses and shoes from Fly London and Fleuvog, a few European lines such as Save The Queen, Kowalski, Shirt Passion, and a variety of denim lines, to round out Aria’s stock, the boutique is fast proving a regular stop for many women. Beltrami eschews a relaxed, consultative approach to sales, while constantly finding original ways to market Aria. Just before Christmas, she holds a "Scotch On the Rocks" night for men only. She maintains an ongoing "wish list" so those wanting to purchase items for boutique clients can easily do so. She also keeps a dress registry, to prevent two customers from attending the same event, in the same outfit. Many styles are stocked in only one of each size, so that the wearer feels unique, an important consideration in any market.
From personal experience, Beltrami knew that many local women travel outside the province to shop. She says this is one reason why she set out to bring boutique fashion to Regina. "There's also a lot of local design talent, just waiting for an opportunity," says Beltrami. She is experimenting with a number of Regina designers.
