Destination: This Arlington-based online boutique is home to emerging international designers from places such as West Africa, South America and Australia. Shop Doku’s founders, three friends and Howard University graduates, Melanie Meek, Tomara Watkins and Akila Hunte, decided to run the boutique from Northern Virginia. They opted for an online shopping destination instead of a brick and mortar store in order to appeal to women everywhere in search of global fashion and accessories.
Atmosphere: “Our site is geared [toward] a fashion nomad. [We wanted] clean lines so that it’s easy to navigate and the focus stays on the product,” says co-founder Tomara Watkins. The main page also displays style highlights, and as you scroll down you can also find the brand-new items the store currently carries.
Bread and Butter: The shop is most known for featuring bold prints on clothing and accessories from up-and-coming international designers. Watkins herself travels around the globe in search of new fashion talent she can bring on board to Shop Doku. This fall the website will add designer pieces from India and West Africa with a focus on extremely detailed, high-quality items.
Sweet Surprises: Ghana’s design duo Ame’yo has a great variety of body conscious, patterned pieces that are perfect for going out. “The prints they create are hand-dyed, so you won’t find one that’s exactly the same,” Watkins says.
Fiercest Fan: “Someone who is well-traveled and fashionable at the same time,” explains Watkins. In a nutshell, the Shop Doku girl is someone who isn’t afraid to stand out from the crowd and strays away from what mainstream fashion has to offer in favor of exotic yet fashionable finds.
Blows to Budget: The pieces range from $35 to $400.
(September 2015)