Rachel Shuster

Twenty-Two Knox Boutique is much more than just a boutique! Located at 14A East Worcester Street in Worcester, MA and online, this new business is the place to shop for great fashion. Twenty-Two Knox offers the latest fashion with a customized, personal and unique experience which appeals to a wide range of women, approximately ages 18-45 and sizes to XS – 5XL, at an affordable price.

Co-Founders and Owners Tracy Gahagan and Lori Martinez are both successful, driven women. Gahagan is a global account manager for medical sales for over 20 years and Martinez is an executive for an insurance company. Beyond their “day jobs,” they have turned their passion for style into a successful and thriving business with Twenty-Two Knox Boutique.

“I have always had a passion for style,” Martinez says. “Friends have leaned on me for interior decorating, homes and offices, fashion, etc. My background is in marketing, and with my insurance job, I just wasn’t getting a lot of use of my interest – it was a hobby,” she says.

One day at home, Martinez was trying to find local fashion stores online and felt there was a gap in what was available. “So, I had an idea and decided to buy a website called ‘Twenty-Two Knox.’ ‘Twenty-Two’ is my oldest son’s birthday and ‘Knox’ is my youngest son’s name. I thought it could be a fun hobby and maybe start with shopping out of my house,” Martinez says.

Being best friends, Martinez naturally approached Gahagan telling her she bought a website and had this idea. “Lori has an eye for style,” Gahagan says. “When she approached me, I told her I believe in her and the idea and that I would be her partner. We are really close and if I was ever going to start a business, it would be with her, so we went for it. We got together and locked ourselves into a hotel room and strategized a three-month plan. It was just supposed to be a website, but our idea exploded,” Gahagan says.

In September 2018, Twenty-Two Knox was launched online, with a re-launch in November 2018 with a more sophisticated e-commerce site due to popularity and quick, immediate success. In November 2019, Gahagan and Martinez opened the brick and mortar store in Worcester.

“Our online presence has over 10,000 items geared towards people who can’t make it into the store or may not be local,” Martinez says. “The idea of the brick and mortar is that personalization aspect. It’s a place to go and try on the clothes and get that personal styling experience. We are closed Sundays and Mondays, but offer styling events and private parties,” she says.

So how do these private parties and styling events work? “People can book a styling appointment by themselves or as groups,” Martinez says. “We send a survey to learn about their styles, and when they come in, they can see what we pulled, try on and see different ways to wear the clothes.” The goal of these events is to bring people in to make them feel good about themselves.

“We had a sponsored event in January that brought together fitness and fashion with Cupcakes Anonymous,” Martinez says. “The vibe was health wellness and giving people space and comfort to come in and explore. We go above and beyond for women to feel empowered. We even had a tarot card reader!”

Another event the team has done is “Knocks Off” where they try to style with knock offs and find cheaper versions of celebrity styles. They also plan to start “Thirty Thursdays” where they pick 30 pieces and design a whole years’ worth of looks with staple and seasonal pieces. “We want to teach women how to choose staple items and different ways to wear it,” Gahagan says. “We want them to make the most out of the space in their closet and money. Our events are opportunities for fun girls’ nights out, collaborating with people in the area and even networking.”

Martinez and Gahagan have a passion for working with local makers and the community too. “We really support small, women owned businesses,” Martinez says. “We did a fashion show to benefit Why Me and Sherry’s House, and plan to do more fashion shows for non-profits as well as private shopping events.”

Gahagan adds that they have and will continue to focus on using fashion show models that are truly role models. “For the fashion shows, we want to use models that are women in business, entrepreneurs, etc., empowering other women and shining a light on people that give back,” she says.

As for the products, inventory at Twenty-Two Knox is constantly changing. “We always want to keep our inventory fresh, new and different,” Gahagan says. “We have a lot of wholesalers and vendors from the West Coast, which also makes our store unique rather than going to a mall and seeing the same clothes on everyone.”

Martinez and Gahagan are always attending fashion events and shows, learning new trends, aiming to provide the latest and best products. The very latest from the two? “We just launched a children’s line in January!” Martinez says.

As for pricing, almost everything online and in the store is under $100. Private styling events and private parties are available for a fun girls’ night out! Private styling events last two hours and require a $50 deposit which will be applied to the client’s purchases. Meanwhile, entire parties are available for a minimum of five attendees. The private parties last four hours and clients can bring food and drinks if they wish. Another added bonus to booking a party are the online promo codes and store credits that the attendees and party hostess receive!

Twenty-Two Knox is open 11:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. on Tuesdays – Saturdays and Sunday and Mondays by appointment.

Be sure to check them out at www.twentytwoknox.com and on social media!