Eve Lonergan chatted with fashion lover Dana Krolik, owner of Shafa Boutique, who this month celebrates one year in business in Carrigaline Shopping Centre.
Schafa is the Polish word for wardrobe and is the inspiration behind the name of Carrigaline-based Shafa Boutique, owned by Dana Krolik.
“I’m from Poland, originally. So schafa, it’s wardrobe in Polish. But I changed it a little bit, I cut one letter. Local people would read that schafa,” Dana Krolik explains, over-emphasising the harsh ch sound.
“I cut the c, to make it easy. So, it’s Shafa.”
As Dana explains the boutique’s name to me, the reasoning becomes clear. Glittering jewellery, trailing silk scarves, and rails of carefully curated clothes are arranged around the intimate space, giving the impression of entering into a fashion treasure chest.
“That’s why the place is very small, it’s like a wardrobe,” Dana explains. “It’s compact and cute, and you feel like you’re in a wardrobe.”
Dana explains that her vision for Shafa Boutique materialised from a lifelong dream of working in fashion.
“Fashion is my passion,” she laughs.
The creation of Shafa Boutique has been a labour of love for Dana, evident in the tasteful range of pieces available, which are all sourced from Italy and hand selected by Dana herself.
Between running the shop and sourcing the pieces, the workload can be intense for Dana. “I’m working here and then I’m back home scrolling, scrolling, scrolling,” she explains, “but I enjoy it.”
Dana’s love for fashion inspired her to open Shafa Boutique after moving to Carrigaline from Fermoy. “I moved to Carrigaline five years ago and I was in shock,” Dana reflects, “there was barely any shops at all!”
Dana saw an opportunity in Carrigaline to both pursue her own dream and to provide the locality with an alternative fashion option.
Dana worked in factories for 15 years, and when she became a single mother, she found it hard to combine work with raising children. She explains: “I decided to create a job for myself that would not interfere with raising children and I would be able to do what I love.”
Opening Shafa Boutique not only helped Dana to realise her dreams of fashion, but also began to build a real sense of community around her.
“When I came here, I wasn’t feeling great in Carrigaline and that’s because I didn't know anybody,” Dana reflects. “I'm a person who needs a social community. And since I opened the shop, I love walking on the street and saying hi to someone who I know.”
This September, Shafa Boutique is celebrating its first anniversary. As the date approaches, Dana reflects on the past year: “I’m still enjoying it. I’m still learning. It’s not always growing, like the summertime was quiet. And I didn’t know that before.
“You know, that’s the business. And I’m still learning how the business is running,” she reflects.
Shafa Boutique is now looking forward to the festive season, providing a range of gifting options, including accessories.
She’s eager to clarify that it’s not only clothes that create a fashionable style, but that “accessories make the outfit.”
Shafa Boutique specialises in elevated casual wear and Dana’s fashion philosophy revolves around feeling your best self, 24/7.
“We need to look casual, but chic,” she explains, “we need to look nice whenever possible – which is all the time.”
According to Dana, having an individual sense of style is all about playing with colour, cut, and accessories, and has more to do with creativity than simply accumulating piles of clothes.
“You don’t need to have a full wardrobe,” Dana explains, “it’s enough to have five or six pieces and you can mix and match to make a couple of outfits.
“Sometimes ladies think this is one outfit, for example, that this top I will only wear with these trousers. Absolutely not. Try it with other ones, or even structure or material, mix and match, colours as well,” she advises.
Dana rebuts the famous fashion cliché of never mixing gold with silver: “mix it! Go for it, play with fashion!”
With a year now under their (very fashionable) belts, Shafa Boutique is excited to expand their range. Dana hopes to grow the range of shoes on offer in Shafa Boutique, to complete every outfit, “I am actually mad about shoes myself.”
However, Dana appreciates that there’s more to life than expanding a business: “I am a single mom, I have two kids at home, so this baby [Shafa Boutique] and those babies are enough.”
Dana has lived in Ireland since 2006, her children are born and raised here, and she has surrounded herself with support, not only through her business, but within her own family and friends.
“I have my girl,” she laughs, referring to Loreta, who also works in Shafa Boutique. “She’s my bestie. She’s actually the girl who pushed me to do this.”
Dana describes how difficulties in her personal life left her feeling uncertain about opening the shop, praising Loreta for inspiring her to pursue her passion: “she gave me that kick, she said, ‘Dana, go do this. You can do this! Don't worry, don’t stop. Just go. Go, go, go!’
“She’s with me all the time.”
This duo are the team that make up the expert styling in Shafa Boutique. Dana explains, “We have a balance. She is a specialist of jewellery. I’m fashion.”
Looking ahead to the future, the pair reflect on the relationships they’ve created with their customers: “it’s very important that customers are coming back,” Loreta comments.
“We’re learning from that,” she continues, “so, it’s nice to get compliments or anything that can help us grow. It’s lovely to have returning customers.”
Shafa Boutique is located in Carrigaline Shopping Centre, on Main Street and can be found on Instagram (@shafaboutiquecarrig) and Facebook (Shafa Boutique).
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