Great Barrington — I’ll bet if you could talk to the dogs and cats of Berkshire County, you’d hear many a good word (woof or meow?) about the Berkshire Humane Society (BHS). One such testimony would come from Munchkin, a sweet black and white cat that was badly abused in a previous situation, rescued by BHS and happily adopted as a kitten two years ago from Purradise by Davy Scribner (then 7 years old). Munchkin is now living fat (perhaps a little too fat) and sassy in a loving home. Any one of us is welcome to follow Davy’s example and bring home an equally loveable dog or cat from one of the two facilities that BHS operates– Purradise at 301 Stockbridge Road in Great Barrington and the main shelter at 214 Barker Road in Pittsfield.
I doubt, though, that any of these animals has a clue that the good treatment they receive at BHS is partially funded by an intriguing fashion boutique named Catwalk, tucked away in a little shopping complex across the street from the Kmart Plaza in Great Barrington. Last year alone, Catwalk grossed more than $110,000, all of which, minus minimal expenses, went to BHS for the care and feeding of dogs and cats in Berkshire County.
So, when we talk about “retail therapy,” this is the real deal. Catwalk was the brainchild of three volunteers, Leslie Weil, Mimi Rosenblatt and Marsha Weiner. All avid animal lovers (Leslie is a VP on the board of BHS, and all three are on the Purradise advisory board), they got to the point where they just couldn’t face putting on yet another annual gala for BHS. Instead, they created a pop-up store over a three-day weekend in November 2013. They recruited friends to help find them clothing, and in the end they were able to put on a huge sale. The merchandise was a combination of consignment (they had 35 consigners) and donations. Mimi, who had a weekly radio show on WSBS called “Cat Chat,” publicized it. When the weekend came, it was like a “happening,” according to Leslie. Women came from all over the Berkshires, and by the end of that one weekend the sale had raised $10,000 for the Berkshire Humane Society.
With encouragement from John Perrault, the Humane Society’s executive director, Leslie and Mimi pursued their hunch that they could open a shop and keep the sale going full-time. They felt that, between them, they had the right experience to pull it off. Leslie had come from a career in the New York fashion world. Mimi, who started as a lawyer and now works as a fitness coach, had lots of experience in organizing and promoting major events for non-profits. When good space in the perfect location – at 325 Stockbridge Road in Great Barrington, in the shopping complex across from the Kmart Plaza – became available, they were on their way. But they also realized they were taking a huge risk. They had decided to depend on donations, not consignments, and they worried whether they would get enough donations to keep it going.
Well, they do get enough donations. “People want to help the Humane Society,” say Leslie and Mimi, “and here is a way they can help. We are getting donations every day. We have hundreds of donors.” As a result, the shop is always well stocked.
This is not your usual thrift shop. Catwalk is a first-class fashion boutique. Leslie and Mimi are fussy about what they put on their racks. Everything they sell is in top condition; no article that smells like mothballs or smoke gets put on sale. No intimate apparel or workout clothes unless they are brand new with the original tags still attached. And the shoes have to be clean, almost like new. They sell jewelry and purses (tons of purses.) They get a lot of designer stuff, but they also welcome “ordinary” clothes. They have clothes at all price points and for people of all ages and all sizes.
Catwalk merchandises like a stylish boutique. “Everything is done to give the customer a desirable shopping experience,” says Leslie. “Our staff will work with you to help put together whole outfits.” And the merchandise is seasonal. Catwalk is able to accept merchandise all year, thanks to the donation of storage space by Creative Building Solutions, a women-owned building company on Hillside Avenue in Great Barrington, but what gets put out in the store is always seasonal, just like a regular store.
And who shops at Catwalk? “Everyone.” say Mimi and Leslie. “ Locals, second home-owners, and tourists. Our clientele is multi-generational – women come in with their daughters and granddaughters. We have something for everyone. One New Yorker told us this is her favorite store in South County.”
Leslie and Mimi run the store. They each devote 20-30 hours a week to the enterprise. Using her fashion contacts, Leslie is able to acquire designer clothing. She also does all the advertising and the advertising design, working with graphic designer Shirley Sparks. Mimi does the press releases. She places PSA’s on commercial radio and television stations, and takes advantage of the free time that WSBS Radio gives them. The shop is manned mostly by volunteers – 80% of the work is done by volunteers, and 20% by a few part-time staff members. Their co-founder Marsha Weiner still volunteers.
So, when you need a retail fix, Catwalk is likely to be open and welcoming. You can go there Monday through Saturday 10am-5pm, except Tuesday when the shop is closed, and Sunday noon-4pm. The store does take a mid-winter break, closing after Martin Luther King’s birthday in January and reopening at the end of March.
“Our mission is to provide a steady revenue stream for the Berkshire Humane Society,” say Leslie and Mimi, “and we are now depositing money every day into their account. Even the charge card transactions go right through to BHS.”
“Catwalk has been like a godsend…a special gift,” says John Perrault, executive director of the Berkshire Humane Society. “It provides us with a steady source of income to care for even more animals than we could before. And people feel good about being able to help.”
