The Times Herald (Norristown, PA)
Che Bella of Skippack to be featured in fashion show
SKIPPACK » When Michele Radatti was asked to feature her merchandise in the Silver Foxes Fashion Show at Blue Bell Country Club on June 9 she knew that Che Bella’s chic designer clothing and accessories would be the perfect fit for a good cause.
“I really believe in giving back to the community and the centers do so much for so many people,” said the owner of the high-end consignment boutique in the heart of Skippack Village.
The annual fashion show, hosted by Senior Adult Activities Center of Montgomery County (Montco SAAC), raises money for three Meals on Wheels programs, senior centers in Norristown and Ambler, and the Ambler-based inter-generational art center.
Radatti had been busy all week gathering some sartorial possibilities for SAAC volunteers and members to model.
Would the country club audience get treated to a summery little number by Lilly Pulitzer?
Or maybe a more tailored piece from Jones New York?
Ultimately, the decision would be left up to the model, Radatti said.
“I’ll have a couple of options for each woman, and then get some more information from them …would they like something eclectic, or more casual, and then let them decide what they’re comfortable wearing. It will depend on the individual and their personality. I’ll meet them and get a feel for what they feel fabulous in. Once they put it on and walk around and know they’re looking amazing — that’s really what it’s about. I want them to feel amazing in the outfit.”
Frugal fashionistas have been coming to Che Bella to feel amazing since it debuted last October in the spot once occupied by the Skippack Hope Chest, where Radatti herself had been a loyal customer, she recalled.
“I fell into this business accidentally. I saw the store was vacant, and I always loved a good deal,” said Radatti, who had worked in property management and also ran a day-care facility out of her Harleysville home. “I’m an extrovert; I love clothes and have always been customer oriented. With the store being so close to home it was the perfect situation for me. The community is really awesome here in Skippack. All of the store owners kind of feed off of each other. I’ll send people to other shops and they’ll send someone here. It’s all about making the customer happy.”
Potential consignors consult with Radatti by appointment and she’ll then decide “yea” or “nay” to the gently used clothing, accessories, shoes and handbags they’re willing to part with.
Che Bella’s like-new inventory appeals to women of all ages — “I’ve had women in their teens and women in their 80s and 90s who found something they love here,” Radatti said — and runs the gamut from such brands as Coach, Dooney & Bourke and Nicole Miller to Tory Burch and Michael Kors.
“I’m pretty particular, and a lot of people that come into my store, if they don’t know what it is, they would never think it’s a consignment shop,” she said of the shop whose name means “so beautiful” in Italian.
“Everyone who comes through the door I always say ‘if you’re on social media, follow my Facebook page because I post everything that comes into my store. I’m very much about the customer experience,” said the entrepreneur who believes online shopping has its place but can never replace traditional browsing and buying.
“I like ordering things online, but I also like a good experience instead of having to purchase something and then having to return it, which I had to do today actually with something I bought,” she said, laughing. “I’m old school … I like to go to a store and look, and a lot of other women are like that too.”
Che Bella is located at 4063 Skippack Pike, Skippack (next to Parc Bistro.) Phone is 267-767-0718; website is Chebellaskippack. com.
Hours are Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, by appointment; Thursday, noon to 5; Friday and Saturday, noon to 6; Sunday, noon to 5.
Tickets for the Silver Foxes Fashion Show, which includes brunch, are $40 and are available at Eventbrite.com