When living in a college town, it can sometimes be a struggle finding boutiques or stores that provide unique, trendy styles and the warm customer service we are used to in larger areas. There is a boutique, however, that brings these elements to the Champaign-Urbana area, providing affordable styles and trendy pieces to a broad range of ages: Fira Boutique. I caught up with the owner to talk about the boutique and why it’s a Fashionista’s haven in the Champaign-Urbana area.
Name: Anna Ragle
Role: Owner, Fira Boutique
CollegeFashionista: How did you come up with the name “Fira” for your boutique?
Anna Ragle: My heritage and family are Swedish and the term fira in Norwegian means “to celebrate”. I named the boutique Fira because I want girls to celebrate their own style, as well as style in general.
CF: What inspired you to open up Fira Boutique?
AR: I have always known I wanted to open up a clothing store and that it was a goal of mine. My grandfather owned a menswear store so I grew up with a background in retail. I also worked at another boutique for four years and after that, I realized it was time to fulfill my goal and open up a boutique.
CF: Describe the style of clothing found in Fira Boutique.
AR: The clothing at Fira is trendy but at an affordable price. We carry many unique pieces that are hand selected by me and catered to the seasons. One of my favorite pieces is this printed maxi dress which is great for spring and the simple boyfriend jeans.
CF: What are your favorite pieces in the boutique?
AR: My favorite pieces are the Bourbon & Boweties accessories we carry. They are a Southern brand and all the pieces are hand-made. We have bracelets, necklaces and other accessories from them that complement our clothing so well.
CF: What has been Fira’s biggest accomplishment?
AR: The biggest accomplishment was creating the store because Fira was a traveling store for two years and we opened the store a year and a half ago and it has been such a success. Also, we recently just launched our website which has been a great step in building up Fira boutique.
Learn More: To stay trendy with the most unique pieces in college, visit Fira Boutique at 700 S Gregory St in Urbana, Illinois. You can also visit their newly launched website.
