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After Syracuse University alumna Caeresa Richardson left her job as an engineer in December, she used her passions for fashion and sustainability to create a “socially-responsible” women’s fashion boutique.

Her boutique, Gypsy Freedom, currently sells eco-friendly, contemporary women’s clothing online that “looks good and does good,” she said. The boutique will open its first in-person showroom in downtown Syracuse on Aug. 31.

“I want women to feel beautiful, I want them to feel good in their clothes and I want them to feel good about the decisions that they’re making with their clothes,” Richardson said. “My goal is to elevate the boutique shopping experience not just in Syracuse, but in general.”

Richardson’s love for fashion started when she was growing up in downtown Buffalo. Raised in an apartment that housed her four siblings and single mother, Richardson normally thrifted clothing and got hand-me-downs from her cousins and sisters.

Despite the financial challenges her family experienced, Richardson saw clothing as organic to her and a huge part of her community. She didn’t see the clothes she wore as hand-me-downs or thrifts but as an expression of who she was.

While majoring in mechanical engineering at SU, Richardson received a stipend through a summer research project and was able to buy clothes that were meaningful to her, such as jeans from Banana Republic.

On top of being a “fashionista,” Richardson said she brought her fashion sense into the classroom, where she took fashion studies courses.

Richardson has been working to get Gypsy Freedom’s first in-person showroom ready for its opening on Aug. 31. Young-Bin Lee | Contributing Photographer

“She always had a real sense of style … I wouldn’t say over the top, but just really well put together,” said Kathleen Joyce, assistant dean of student recruitment at SU engineering and a mentor to Richardson. “Caeresa always looked ready for opportunity.”

She graduated in 2007 and went on to work as an engineer. But she would realize during her professional career how detrimental clothing manufacturing is to the environment.

“I was able to see first-hand how harmful the traditional manufacturing practices can (be) on our environment and on our local communities,” Richardson said. “(Many) big house designers, their manufacturing practices are really dangerous, they are not using fair trade, their workers are not compensated correctly. That doesn’t align with me.”

Richardson decided to “dig deeper” and change her wardrobe and lifestyle. She thought that she couldn’t be the only woman who was having difficulty making her closet more sustainable, and she realized there could be a market for women like her.

She approached Evelyn Ingram, her graduate sorority chapter president and mentor, with the idea of Gypsy Freedom about a year ago. Ingram applauded Richardson for wanting to take the risk of leaving her job as an engineer to become a fashion entrepreneur. But, more importantly, she praised Richardson for following her passion.

“I think you do best when you’re following your passion,” Ingram said. “That’s not based on money, that’s not based on status … because if you’re following your passion, you’re going to put your all into it.”

And Richardson did. She left her managerial position with National Grid in December and opened Gypsy Freedom the same month.

Gypsy Freedom first started through online orders and pop-up shops. To ensure all items fit the boutique’s “sustainable, ethical and socially conscious” criteria, Richardson personally curates all pieces sold at Gypsy Freedom and only buys a limited amount of items to instill a “true boutique experience.”

“When it’s gone, it’s gone,” she said.

Richardson held her first pop up shop in December at Original Grain in downtown Syracuse. The experience was exhausting, but it proved to be effective. One pop-up shop led to another, and Gypsy Freedom eventually started doing pop-up shops all over upstate New York.

But when the coronavirus pandemic reached Syracuse in March, in-person pop-up shops were no longer an option for Richardson to sell her clothing.

“I thought about closing the business and starting it next year,” Richardson said. “I really (had) to think and be creative and test out virtual shopping and see if it works.”

Despite the loss of in-person sales, Richardson was able to reach clients from outside of the area while maintaining local customers with virtual shopping. In her first “Sip and Shop” event, Richardson showed different outfits in her home through Facebook and Instagram, attracting over 100 live viewers between both platforms.

As the Sip and Shop events continued, local customers asked Richardson if they could come to her home to try on items. She knew she had to open up a showroom in Syracuse.

Gypsy Freedom sells socially conscious and contemporary women’s clothing. Young-Bin Lee | Contributing Photographer

Down the road, Richardson would like to open more showrooms and do pop-ups nationally and internationally. She even plans on continuing virtual Sip and Shop events due to the success of them. But her plans all depend on how COVID-19 progresses, she said.

Still, she’ll make sure the pandemic doesn’t ruin the boutique experience for herself and her customers when she opens her showroom Aug. 31.

Richardson roamed around Gypsy Freedom’s first showroom on Monday, gently folding clothing and toting around boxes.

As she gushed about her boutique, her eyes squinted as she smiled through her remnant fabric mask. Despite opening day being a week away, Richardson’s hand-picked selections were already on the clothing racks. She was almost ready.

“I chose Gypsy Freedom,” Richardson said. “I chose her.”

Published on August 25, 2020 at 10:33 pm

Contact Christopher: cscargla@syr.edu | @chrisscargs