Teachers to Business Owners

By Alissa Murphy

Owners of independent retail stores are attempting to revive arts and culture in the heart of downtown Windsor.

Sarah De Luca, 55, owner of Full Circle Vintage, a clothing store located on 75 University Ave., has been an entrepreneur since 1982. De Luca established her first business called Fashion Forward in the location where the Phog Lounge currently stands.

“I keep retail in my best efforts, it’s not an easy job,” De Luca said. “Vintage is not like you can order in a catalogue. They are hidden gems and when you come here, it’s already found for you.”

De Luca graduated from teacher’s college in Toronto, then decided to come back to her hometown in Windsor because of lack of work in the education field. Her idea to keep the arts and culture in the city alive is to inform.

Liz Munsterjelm is the owner of Casa Chavela, a store that specializes in gifts and clothing from around the world by fair trade. The store is located on 405 Pelissier Street and has been in business since 1985. With Spanish, English Literature and Journalism degrees under her belt, Munsterjelm wanted to explore the world. In succession, she taught journalism for 10 years, taught in Spain and went backpacking in Europe. In respect to natural progression, she decided to be her own boss and wanted to contribute to third world countries.

“A lot of artistic people shop here in that sense,” Munsterhelm said. “My store is completely fair trade. We sell from gifts to clothing, all from a fair trade perspective. We specialize in items from third world countries.”

With a story for each item, whether it be a piece of clothing, an authentic scarf or jewelry, Munsterjelm’s goal is to educate customers on each product purchased. She believes that in order to revive the city, it must start with education and understanding in society.

Rachael Elizabeth, 40, manager of technology at Casa Chavela said she had the unique opportunity to network for the shop by absolute luck and chance.

“It is fun for me to express myself creatively and outreach to our customers as well,” Elizabeth said.

These independently owned stores that are in downtown Windsor speak to the love of the arts. They also give consumers the opportunity to learn about world cultures in one destination.

“In ways I’m still teaching of cultures, attitudes and identities,” Munsterjelm said. “I wanted to teach them something they not have known when they come in.”