 By HEATHER SALERNO
THE JOURNAL NEWS
(Original publication: November 4, 2006)
When Tai Eisley and LaTasha Marbury were about to open Pepper Noodle, an upscale children's clothing store in Rye, they brought their basketball-playing spouses in for a preview.
Stephon Marbury and Howard Eisley, point guards for the New York Knicks and Denver Nuggets, respectively, didn't know exactly what their wives were up to with their new business venture. But a quick peek inside the Purchase Street shop immediately showed them that their gals weren't setting up any cookie-cutter kind of kids' place.
The store sparkles with crystal chandeliers, Venetian plaster accents, a plush velvet sofa and rose silk-screened wallpaper. Purchases are placed in purple burlap sacks, not paper shopping bags.
Then, of course, there's the merchandise. From tiny 7 For All Mankind corduroys ($110) to wee tees by Splendid ($44), Pepper Noodle's garments are hip enough to make parents covet their toddlers' wardrobe.
"They didn't realize how elaborate it was," says Marbury of their husbands' excited reaction.
"We didn't tell them," adds Eisley. "So it was kind of a big surprise."
Their significant others aren't the only ones impressed by Pepper Noodle, which opened in late August. Sales are so strong, Eisley says they've blown past their initial projections for the year. In the shop's first two weeks alone, more than $12,000 worth of pint-sized attire by Splendid - a brand beloved for its baby-soft cotton togs - flew out the door.
"We did not expect to do as well as we've done," says Eisley.
At first, the women were hesitant to stock Pepper Noodle with edgy clothing, worried that local parents might not want such super-stylish gear for their mini-me's.
But Eisley and Marbury are local moms, too. Both in their early 30s - Eisley lives in Harrison, Marbury in Purchase - they each have two youngsters, from 20 months to 7 years old. They'd had trouble finding unique clothing for their own children without having to shop in Manhattan, Los Angeles or online, and they thought others might be having the same problem.
Still, they knew they'd be competing with Neiman Marcus and other posh boutiques nearby.
So instead of selling the more obvious kids' designer wear like Juicy Couture, Eisley and Marbury chose to carry up-and-comers, including: Kingsley (which outfitted Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt's baby, Shiloh, for her first photo-op), Trunk Ltd. (known for vintage rock T-shirts for tots) and Inky Dink (Reese Witherspoon and Kelly Ripa dress their children in these graphic shirts).
Then the ladies added some atypical toys to the mix - Kaloo stuffed animals, instead of Elmo and Barney dolls - and prayed for a hit. And their hunch was right.
Customers have flocked to the store, scooping up "Rock Baby" black-and-rhinestone onesies by Special Tee Designs, Wonderboys print button-downs and IKKS wool wrap sweaters.
"It is a little bit more on the trendy side, but I love it," says Jennifer Costigan of Rye, who has a 2-year-old daughter and a baby due next month. "Every time you come in, there's something different."
Eisley and Marbury have also made a point of catering to little boys. Unlike most other children's stores, where girls' clothing usually dominates, Pepper Noodle offers more fashion choices for boys.
"You can go anywhere and find cute little-girl stuff. You can go to Target," says Eisley. "But little-boy stuff is so hard to find."
Many items in the store are costly - Earnest Sewn jeans for babies, for instance, go for $128 - which seems at odds with the philosophy behind the low-priced Starbury shoe and clothing line that Marbury's husband just launched.
The NBA star's sneakers are $15, a fraction of the $100-plus shoes endorsed by fellow hoopsters like LeBron James and Michael Jordan. Stephon Marbury has said that he wanted to create a cool sneaker that lower-income kids could afford.
LaTasha Marbury notes that Pepper Noodle is aimed at a different market - and points out that not all of the store's apparel is high-end. To illustrate, she points to a $17 Max n' Maddie thermal henley and a $50 embroidered, camouflage jacket by Micros.
"This isn't athletic gear," she says. "This is more everyday, school gear, or for church."
And the women are happy to rebuff the perception of NBA wives merely kicking back at home, enjoying their million-dollar mansions and spending their husbands' dough. They say many of their counterparts are starting foundations, charities and businesses of their own - just as they are.
"Most of our friends, we all have college degrees," says Marbury. "So we're not just lazy and …"
"Looking for a free ride!" finishes Eisley. "That (stereotype) should be shattered." |
