ADVERTORIAL
A gothic fashion store at Goldfields mall has emerged from the dark shadows.
Gothica Baby owner Sooz Gilmer said she began selling homemade gothic jewellery, bags and t-shirts on Trade Me seven years ago and decided the time was right to sell her wares from a physical store. “Goth is how I’ve always been, I grew up when punk was starting to hit the British theme and I liked the fashion,” she said.
“I’m hoping [customers] will be intrigued by our range of products, because I definitely think there is a market for what we’re selling.
“There is gothic and natural stone jewellery, we have t-shirts that have been printed with my son Hayden’s original artwork, and we also have some bags printed with his artwork.”
Sooz, who also co-owns Gilmer Farms at Whakatete Bay, said the store was also a way to keep her son employed.
“I had been employing Hayden for the last couple of years to be my farm helper and he reignited a back injury and it took a very long time to heal,” she said.
“I thought about what else we could do to continue to employ him and thought I could possibly have a shop.
“I had already met John [Freer] through the Rotary Farmers Market so I contacted him and asked if we could have a pop up shop in the mall and he said ‘absolutely’.”
Sooz said the store would be open for at least six months and planned to move into a bigger store with more items afterwards.
“We’d like to get into more clothing and shoes and create a specialty store for people who aren’t into bling,” she said.
Sooz said a website for her store was also available where her daughter Zoe modelled the stockings, gloves, sunglasses and some of the jewellery.
