Celebrating 21 years

The dream started in a box of a shop, chartreuse paint, yellow walls, and a lot of heart. Kiwi was born in Berkeley off of 7th Avenue in a side street shop that had iron bars. We painted a wooden sign and adhered it to a wooden rolling rack to help with visibility and hoped that the neighborhood would notice this little shop.

Slowly, the neighbors started to come in. Conversations started and relationships were built and some of those early first-day relationships are still some of my closest friends.

Soon after, we outgrew that small spot and moved across the street to a shoebox spot but this time on the avenue. Babies were born, dates were had and marriages became families. Our neighborhood of Park slope was also changing and growing with us. Not too long after, we moved once again to the space that was once an old record store.

I can still remember the day we rolled the racks down 7th Avenue to our current space and the feeling of excitement I had. It was exhilarating to know that this wonderful neighborhood liked us, who we were, and what we are about.

And so, we continued to grow and our lives continued to change. We then opened up our men’s Shop, fig. and suddenly we had company on the block.

The styles came and went, the faces in the shops have changed and some have gotten older. We painted a few times, moved things innumerable ways, created thousands of windows, and saw so many grow up, move in, move out, walk up, walk down and what we realized is that we are part of the fabric of this dynamic and beautiful neighborhood.

A hub of fashion, yes, but also a hub of the neighborhood, conversations, laughter, tears but most of all, a place for beauty and its appreciation. Kiwi is a place of individual expression and the home of that art.

It’s been a wild ride and without you, your support, your encouragement, of our small dreams, we would not be here.

You’ll notice that I use the word “we” often in this note. It is because this store was not built by just myself but all the people who have come through and added, lifted and supported it.

I do not take this Anniversary lightly. It is an opportunity to reflect on the years, hold on to all that I’ve learned but most of all be grateful to YOU. Grateful for my incredible team who inspire us to do BETTER and lead in what we do with heart and intention. To the two people who have always stood by my side, my husband, Jose, and work wife, Amanda- there are no words to express my gratitude.

It’s unbelievable and in a blink of an eye, it’s been 20 years.  Let’s pop bubbly and raise a glass!

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. 21 million times.