Alumni

Grad Opens Sustainable Fashion Boutique in San Clemente

On July 1, 2021, FIDM Visual Communications Graduate Shamani Hall opened Shop Shani, “a consciously curated space of collected and created goods to raise your vibration,” in San Clemente, California. The new store in South Orange County offers shoppers a mix of women’s vintage clothes and accessories, sustainable swimwear, as well as the Shani collection, featuring ethically made new pieces, including smock tops crafted from upcycled fabrics and tie-waist skirts made from eco-friendly knit ribs. 

Born in Alaska (her name is Inuit) and raised outside of Seattle, Washington, Shamani gained valuable experience working in LA’s famed fashion industry. In 2007, she partnered with a friend to launch a brand that was worn by celebrities like the Kardashians. But after 10 years, Shamani was ready for something different. When a friend asked the FIDM Alumna to help open a new store in Costa Rica, Shamani packed her bags and headed to the tropical Central American country. 

“When I was [in Costa Rica], I was able to have space to go deeper and really think about what I wanted to do with my life and career,” Shamani, who is now vegan and has committed herself to a more purposeful life through conscious consumerism, recently told the San Clemente Times. “When it feels right, I’m going to do it.” She returned to Los Angeles in 2020, in the middle of pandemic-related lockdowns, and began working on her own brand. 

“I was forced to just focus on my own thing,” she told the publication. “I even started shooting myself with the product; during COVID, you had to be resourceful.” Her vintage pieces were selling out online, but Shamani was craving the nature and surf-town feel she had experienced in Costa Rica, so the designer said goodbye to big city living and moved to San Clemente. Six months later, after spotting a For Lease on Avenida de la Estrella, she signed a lease for her own shop. 

“I didn’t have a social life during the pandemic, so the business gave me something to dive into,” said Shamani, who calls the store her “dream project.” “It feels good to be here and see it all coming together.”

Learn more online at shopshani.com and on Instagram @shop_shani.

Categories:  Visual Communication Alumni