Sometimes You Get Smaller Before You Get Bigger

It's with a heavy heart that I announce the closing of our flagship store in Rockridge. The decision to close was a long and tough one to make, but the convergence of many factors make it the right move.

The first main factor is Oakland's economic climate which is shuttering many small businesses. Unfortunately we got caught up in the sweep. With a rise in costs and a severe decrease in foot traffic due to perceived and actual crime rates along with big box online retail, I simply can't afford to keep the doors open.

The second factor is more personal. I'm a mom now, and that is a full-time job. Period. Full-stop. Whereas pre-baby, I could pour every ounce of myself into my company and the many roles I play (designer, store manager, saleswoman, marketing guru, analyst, web ops, etc.), my time and energy is extremely limited now. What I've come to terms with is that I can't successfully run a boutique AND run a clothing brand. I've realized that it is more important to me to be a designer than a store manager. I want to continue creating pieces that inspire confidence in your day-to-day. I take solace in knowing that the store can close and the mission and values of this label will carry on through the clothing.

This place has laid the groundwork for the next evolution of this label. It provided us a beautiful the space to welcome customers in, both new and returning. I got to know so many of you and understand the wants and needs in your wardrobe. We received so much direct feedback on styles - what you liked, didn't like, what design improvements could be made to make styles even better, how fabrics felt, how our sizing felt and what colors and patterns made you excited to get dressed in the morning.

We've have two wonderful years in Rockridge, and I'm forever grateful to the community of shopkeepers, customers and neighbors that have and continue to support me and this label.

One of my main reasons for opening the store was to create a safe, judgement-free space for women to explore shape, color and texture, with the goal of dressing bodies with confidence. I believe we achieved that, which makes closing this store that much more difficult.

I still believe in curating inclusive, judgement-free spaces to heal our relationships with our own bodies and learn how to dress them with compassion and creativity. One day we'd like to open a store again, but for now, we are shifting to a different model. We are beginning to offer wholesale, so other retailers can carry the DG brand in their stores.

So if you'd like to see Devan Gregori in your favorite boutiques, I'd love for you to tell them! Tag them in the comments on our Instagram posts, send them an email (or a DM), or let the store associates or the owner know the next time you shop in-person. You are helping them by letting them know how and who you'd like to shop, and I'd be incredibly grateful.