By Christine Graf
Glens Falls native Eliza DeRocker has relocated Saratoga Closet, an upscale consignment shop and bridal boutique, to the Wilton Mall. Prior to opening in the mall in mid-December, Saratoga Closet was located at 38 Van Dam Street in Saratoga.
A graduate of the Fashion Institute of Technology, DeRocker has extensive experience in the fashion industry. In addition to working as a handbag designer for Chanel, she had her own line of handbags and worked as a stylist for Lily Pulitzer.
Around 2013, she returned to the Capital Region where she opened Glens Falls Bride and Gown at 56 Glen Street. Six months later, she opened Saratoga Closet on Van Dam Street. Albany Bride and Gown was followed by a bridal shop in Charleston, South Carolina.
All four stores were closed during the early days of the pandemic and after COVID restrictions were lifted, DeRocker found it almost impossible to staff her New York stores.
“No one wanted to come back to work,” she said. “I lost everybody. I held on as long as I could.”
It was due to a lack of employees that she closed both the Albany and Glens Falls bridal stores. After her Charleston store sustained flood damage on two separate occasions, she closed that store as well. Then, in January 2023, she was notified that the Van Dam Street building that she was leasing was being sold.
“They gave us ten days to move,” she said. “I ended up taking a temporary space, but there was nothing downtown available.”
Her temporary space on Circular Street did not meet her needs, prompting her to relocate to the Wilton Mall in a space located next to Bath and Body Works.
According to DeRocker, business at the mall has exceeded her expectations.
“We’re doing well. We’re selling a lot of vintage fur coats and a lot of wedding gowns. We have a lot of bridal appointments set up for January.”
Saratoga Closet sells both new and gently used wedding gowns, and custom ordered wedding dresses are also available.
“We can actually get custom ordered wedding gowns delivered to your house in a week for some of the wedding gown brands that I carry,” said DeRocker. “It just depends on the brand. Customers can also order prom gowns.”
The store also carries a wide selection of consignment inventory which includes clothing as well as high-end designer bags and shoes. Much of the store’s consignment inventory is brand new with the tags still attached.
With the exception of vintage fur coats, DeRocker primarily accepts consignment fashions from the past two to three years. She keeps up with all of the current fashion trends and new designers.
“I’m looking for things that are current. I basically buy things that I would want to wear,” she said. “I’m also really picky with the wedding gowns. They have to be in perfect condition and from 2021 or later. When I started the business ten years ago, I thought vintage gowns would sell, but they didn’t.”
Consignment items are evaluated on Mondays and Tuesdays by appointment only. For items priced under $100, the consigner receives 40 percent of the sale price. Consigners receive 50 percent of the sale price for all items priced over $100. Payments are made via Venmo at the end of each month.
There is no set time limit for how long an item is able to remain in the store. Unsold merchandise is either returned to the consigner or donated to Treasures Thrift Shop where all proceeds benefit Saratoga Hospital.
Saratoga Closet also sells inventory online through their Facebook page. For those who live locally, online purchases can be delivered.
“If you can’t get to the mall, I will drop it off at your house,” said DeRocker.
By February, DeRocker expects to have seven part-time employees. Retired Fashion Institute of Technology professor Pam Zuckerman will be coming on board to assist with the buying side of the business.
Plans are also in the works to launch an online platform called OnceLovedGowns.com. Through the web site, people will be able to buy and sell used wedding gowns.
DeRocker is also considering opening a pop-up store in Florida this winter. She is also exploring the possibility of opening a bridal shop in Manchester, Vermont.
For the time being, she will be focused on rebranding and rebuilding her business.
“I’m looking forward to a new beginning,” she said. “This is the biggest location I ever opened. It’s huge. It’s beautiful inside, and the lighting is great. Security is great, the parking is great, and so is the local mall management. If I need anything, they come right over.”
The store is open during mall hours: Monday-Friday, 10 a.m,-8 p.m; Saturday, 10 a.m.-9 p.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m.