Janette Agius's teenage job turned into a lifelong passion
When Janette Agius walked through the doors of The Knack at 19 years of age, she wasn't expecting to find her passion. She was just working in retail for her friend, who owned the shop.
Over twenty years later, Agius has been the full owner of the store for about three to four years, though she doesn't know for sure: "time flies when you're having fun, I guess," she says.
"I love helping people, and that's what the job entails," she says. "Working with boutique clothing, you're on the floor interacting with people... I just really like the social aspect."
This is all lucky for Agius, because her Powell River shop is a staple for many local fashionistas. And it all starts with Agius and her careful eye for choosing quality stylish clothing.
"Our focus is carefully curated clothing," Agius says. "We handpick from different lines, so we have fashion pieces, but also classic pieces, so it will all mix nicely into your wardrobe."
Agius says that for her and her staff, customer service is always key, and that forming relationships with their clients and getting to know what they like is very important.
"Each season there's some trends, and it’s translating that to something wearable that's sometimes tricky," she says. "Our expertise is looking at someone's figure and saying, these trends will work for this customer. Our focus is to dress body shapes as best as we can."
She adds that she isn't interested in making a quick sale over the best interests of the customer, saying, "Honesty is always our best practice, so if something doesn't work, we will recommend a new piece – until we get to a piece that has that special WOW factor, and makes the client feel great."
The Knack carries a variety of brands, including but not limited to Dexx, Black Tape, Vancouver-based Gentle Fawn, as well as Orb, Guess, Levi's, Michael Kors, Sam Edelmenn, and Steve Madden. She adds that they also carry shoes, lingerie, jewellery, scarves, sunglasses, as well as specialty candles and towels.
Overall, Agius says that what she's learned is to "have fun with your clothes! And ignore sizing. It doesn't matter. Just try on what feels good."
If you'd like to get fun with your fashion, head to 4670 c Marine Avenue in Powell River. You can also check their website at www.shoptheknack.com or dial 604-485-9796.
