Meet Kristina! The woman bringing summer vibes all year long to South Philly
Bio
Meet Kristina! Originally from the Philadelphia suburbs of Abington, PA. Kristina went to Philadelphia University and graduated in 2017 with a Fashion Merchandising degree. After graduating she worked for Anthropologie for 6 years. “What kept me in Philly was continuously achieving goals in the industry I wanted to be in, with the company I loved.”
Like many eventual small business owners, Kristina had a passion for entrepreneurship. Before eventually opening a full apparel & accessories boutique, Kristina had a handmade jewelry side-business – an interest and hobby she’s had since middle school…As the years passed and her skills grew, she began taking the once-hobby more seriously. She began to sell online and in a handmade shop in Cape May, NJ called Quirk&Co.
The relationships she made in Cape May, both as an employee of local boutiques and a wholesaler is how she eventually ended up opening her own shop.
Origin Story
One of the shops Kristina worked in over the summers in Cape May, was a shop called Miss Demeanor. Kristina was a customer there, before she became an employee. Over the years she developed a really sweet relationship with the owners, she had looked up to them for so long and they knew Kristina had the entrepreneurial spirit.
Miss Demeanor had a second location in South Philly on East Passyunk Ave. After Covid, the owners decided to go in a new direction, and immediately reached out to Kristina to see if she wanted the space, knowing that she had always wanted to her own business and take her handmade jewelry to another level.
“I had actually said no at first, since I had just taken a new role at my current job and wasn’t sure if I was ‘ready’ for it. When they reached out a second time a few months later, I knew I had to go for it. This was late Spring/early Summer of 2021 when I made the internal decision to pursue this. My last day at my job was July 31st and I opened my store on August 21st. There was a lottt of behind the scenes work over the summer, and those 3 weeks of true time off were all hands on deck to pull everything together for Opening Day (thanks to the help of my family) – I HAD to make it work to open in August, September was not an option for August Moon!”
If you haven’t guessed already, Kristina was born in August. She identifies strongly with her Leo sign and has always loved the month of August and summer. She also has always loved the celestial sky and moon, so needless to say August Moon felt right and felt like her. You can now find August Moon during any month in South Philly!
Roses and Thorns
“I love curating and creating and designing and styling and choosing everything myself! I love that it’s probably the purest reflection of ME, while that also makes me feel incredibly vulnerable for the same reason. I have always been a creative person with a passion for business — I love that this is both and it’s all up to me to figure out. Which also identifies as a thorn – ha! Having everything be up to you can be really challenging and overwhelming at times. What if I make the wrong decision, or buy the wrong product, or somebody doesn’t like me or my brand? It’s a huge risk and can feel vulnerable to put your whole self out there. You eventually realize that you can’t please everyone, but it’s still a goal to try. We (business owners) are all just regular people doing our best, trying to bring the best experience/product to our customers and communities.
Speaking of community — I love the genuine connections I make with my customers who I’ve gotten to know over the last year plus. Being involved in their life moments, vacations, and everyday outfitting — is a fulfilling feeling. I enjoy making people feel good, and I want everyone who walks into my shop to feel a sense of comfort and peace, and to walk out feeling confident!”
1729 E Passyunk Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19148
https://www.augustmoonco.com
@augustmoon.co
