Shop Talk at Emperor's Newest Clothes

Michelle T. Woljevach, 35

Owner, Emperor's Newest Clothes

1453 B Grandview Ave., Columbus

(614-486-6800)

What does your store offer?

Boutique labels. Really fun, trendy, feminine items. Just an eclectic mix at really affordable prices. You can come in here and get everything -- from accessories to clothes to leggings. It really can be a one-stop destination.

What's your store's style, your look?

Cute, cute, cute! I hear that word everyday. It's very soft, very feminine, very fun. I like to carry some edgy and fashion-forward items. I'm really into how things feel, so soft fabrics.

And your strategy is simple -- you buy what you would wear, right?

When I go out and shop, I buy things I really want to wear. When I sell something, it's an honest sale. I feel like it's a really honest way of doing business.

You opened this shop seven years ago and opened a second one by the same name in the Short North about a year ago. How are they different?

I feel like the shopping experience in Grandview is a little more intimate. It's a smaller store. The Short North store is a little bigger, maybe a little more urban.

Your degree is in chemistry and diatetics. What pushed you in this direction?

I was going to be a chiropractor. I had two months before school started, and I started having second thoughts. So I went to a headhunter and they did tests on me, and I fit into fashion.

After working in the fashion industry, then, you decided to open this. But it was shortly after 9/11, and you couldn't even get a loan. So you put everything on credit cards. How did you do it?

Everybody thought I was crazy. But I was so sure of what I was doing... I was serving during the night at Easy Street, then working in my store all day (preparing to open). I have never worked so hard in my life.

Well, you must be doing OK, because you're not serving anymore, right?

Yeah... It's like, I can't believe this is how I make a living. I'll never get rich running this kind of boutique (But) I wanted anybody to be able to shop in my stores. I keep my price point as low as I can.

What are your prices, generally?

Dresses in here are anywhere from $35 to $45. Tops are $23 to $35. My jeans are $45 to $49. You can get a dressy dress -- you know, like a party dress -- from anywhere between $49 and $69. Purses are $27 to $51. Acccessories, $7 to $21. And my sunglasses are $13 every single day