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Having fun with fashion is one gene the Lexi Drew creators were born with. “It’s something we had inside of us all along,” says co-owner Natalie Jeberaeel, 23, of West Bloomfield. “I have a pair of jeans that I thought I should add Swarovski crystals to, and I do that to dresses.”
Fun is simply apparent with their designs and in their downtown Birmingham boutique Lexi Drew.
“This store is something we both always wanted to do,” says co-owner Dianna Rasha, 22, of Troy. “We see something we can do to make it creative and we do it.”
“We wanted a clothing store that had men’s, women’s; everything, like a mini-department store,” says Jeberaeel.
“We grew up together, we act alike, we think the same, so it’s like we’re sisters, so of course we’d open this store together,” adds Rasha.
Speaking of which, I hear someone -- rather some place -- is celebrating a birthday soon…..one year old now? How are you celebrating?
Natalie Jeberaeel: The day after Thanksgiving -- Nov. 28 -- we’re going to have blowout sales and great deals all day at the store, hors d'oeuvres, wine, snacks, DJ Brandon Kejbou, fabulous new stuff and special hours: from 8 a.m.-10 p.m. We want to thank all our customers over the year.
Dianna Rasha: It’s the busiest shopping day of the year so we’ll stay open late if we need to.
NJ: We’re hustlers and we’ll do whatever it takes. We definitely bend over backwards for our customers and if they don’t like something, then don’t buy it; we want to make them happy.
How would you describe it here?
DR: It’s so much fun. We love helping customers for special occasions and our clothes are one of a kind; you can’t find them anywhere else.
NJ: We love decorating the store, changing it around and making room for new things.
It’s all combined into one, too, clothes, kids stuff, accessories, furnishings…..
NJ: We’re trend setters. We like to do things never done before. A lot of people try, but they never will because Lexi Drew is one-of-a-kind. We also do custom order furnishing.
Where do you find all your up-to-date looks, and what sets you guys apart?
DR: We do all the buying and we go everywhere: L.A., Vegas, New York, Miami and Barcelona. Barcelona is probably one of my favorite places to buy.
NJ: We don’t have competitions. We mix up styles. We’re very trendy, unique and go for the not-so-simple and more glamorous. Wow, it’s hard to label us because we’re not an ordinary store.
What are some new items and trends you’re showcasing now?
DR: A lot of fringe, dresses, pearls and men’s graphics -- those are some of the big trends.
NJ: I can honestly say we were the first ones to introduce Christian Audigier for Ed Hardy. Now you go to the bars and everyone’s wearing it.
Where does the name Lexi Drew come from anyway?
NJ: We were sitting at the Coney Spot in Pontiac and thought of the name.
DR: It’s the names of my niece and nephew and they were acting obnoxious at the time and we thought Lexi, Drew, ha, ha, oh yeah.
And you recently did a fashion show, too, any more of those coming up?
NJ: Via Nove sponsored the show and it was the first one we’ve done and the outcome was so good. We plan on having live models in the store soon to show the clothes, we’ll probably have that for the anniversary party, too.
So, Birmingham is the perfect fit for your boutique?
NJ: It was either Birmingham or nothing. The people are nice, the city is beautiful and it’s here or nowhere. It’s a little community, but you get to be a part of a family.
What do you find that people come in here looking for?
DR: People come in for something different.
NJ: They want one-of-a-kind things so no one looks like them.
What’s coming up next? Another store perhaps?
NJ: We’ll be blowing up around the world soon—nationwide. We definitely want to open another store, but we’d rather not say where, we want it to be spontaneous.
