“So, Where’d You Get The Name Strawberry Mountain?”
Hello and welcome to the blog!
My name is Nadia and I’m the Owner and General Manager of Strawberry Mountain. Since Strawberry Mountain opened last year, I’ve been asked time and time again, “How did you come up with the name?” It’s a great question and I’d love to tell you about it!
As I reflect back on how Strawberry Mountain came to be, I can’t help but first be overwhelmed with gratitude for all the events, hobbies, jobs, education, relationships, training, mentors, friends, and family that have made my life the adventure it’s been. Thank you! I am who I am today because of the things that I have experienced in my years of living. The universe has been kind to me.
A few years ago, I had no idea that I would be opening my very own buy-sell-trade clothing store. Even days before opening on January 1, 2021 it felt all so dreamlike, but it was really happening! I remember sharing my “what-if” dreams and ideas with friends about what my ideal retail/work environment might be like, and I had no idea that my day dreaming would eventually become my reality. It was as if just speaking my thoughts was the beginning; the spark that ignited something in the universe that would eventually make Strawberry Mountain exist.
One of my favorite Terminator 2 quotes is, “No fate but what we make,” and I couldn’t agree more. I believe in manifestation – in the power of putting something out there and letting it come to fruition. We learn and grow and evolve everyday. New experiences give us new perspectives and can change who we are, whether we understand it completely or not. I try to acknowledge the new things I learn each day and practice gratitude for new knowledge. Ideally, we are smarter today than we were yesterday and I like to keep that in mind as much as I can.
Those of you who know me personally know the Virgo part of me is very real and I comfortably operate with a “type-A” personality. So once I decided that I was going to open a store, I started to get obsessive about what the heck I was going to name it! How do you choose a name? What if I choose the wrong one? Is it going to be relevant over time? How do I make sure it’s classic without sounding dated or bandwagon-y 10+ years from now? Eventually I narrowed it down to a few things that were important to me in this process. Any of you who might need to name a business of your own, feel free to keep these tips handy:
1) Be sure it’s easy to say, spell, and read.
2) Make it memorable and/or iconic.
3) Don’t sound like you’re trying too hard.
From there I envisioned the vibe of the store; the aesthetic of the fixtures, the atmosphere and feeling of being in this currently imaginary, but soon to be real place. I placed myself inside of my imagination where I was among 80s angles (I love geometry!), a pastel color palette (gentle and welcoming), a feeling like you were in a mall from the past (I’m talkin’ the 1980s Sherman Oaks Galleria where Fast Times at Ridgemont High and parts of Valley Girl were filmed), a strong feminine presence (like those depicted in the Patrick Nagel pieces we have hanging in the store), and some cute nostalgic elements (like how it “felt” and smelt whenever I would go into a Sanrio Surprise as a kid).
Then I brainstormed some words and wrote pages of lists of potential names based on what that imagination made me feel. Some names and words were really close to making the cut. Some I stewed over for weeks, while others were just a part of the process of finding the right words. Vogue, Pastel-Pastel, Mall Scapes, and Totally Bitchin’ were some of the names that got jotted down in the brainstorm, but when I felt doubt in a name at any moment, I would go back to the drawing board in search of what sounded and felt better. I was insistent that I needed to feel good about the name for at least a month.
So let's break it down! The words “strawberry” and “mountain” feel kind of timeless, and I’ve been around both strawberries and mountains for most of my whole life. I grew up in Oxnard, CA where they grow strawberries and hold annual strawberry festivals. A windows-down car ride to school smelled like strawberries a lot of the year, and I always loved that. Also, Oxnard is really close to the coast in Southern California, with the Pacific Ocean in the west and a backdrop of mountains in the east. As a kid, it was very exciting to go see the snow in the mountains. It was a long, windy drive, and at least one of us kids would always get car sick, but no matter how uncomfortable the drive up was, being in the snowy mountains was a really special feeling that only came around once every few years if we were lucky. So for me, there’s a whole lot of nostalgia built into the name Strawberry Mountain.
I like to think that for most other people, strawberries and mountains are just timeless things that when said together evoke a whimsical idea that somewhere in existence is a mountain made of strawberries – how dreamy! That feeling of whimsy and imagination is similar to how I feel about clothes. Your imagination is a limitless source of creativity. Being creative is so fulfilling and brings forth self expression. Self expression is a powerful way to share a piece of yourself with others. Sharing with others allows for connections to be made, common ground to be met, friendships to be built, and good vibes to be all around you.
Honestly, I’m not exactly sure why Strawberry Mountain stuck as the name for the store after I initially landed on it. But being asked about the name a handful of times got me thinking and remembering some real good times. Putting this little blog post together has been yet another reminder that when you put a vibe out there, when you manifest good, it has great potential to show up and surprise you. “No fate but what we make.”
I leave you with the mission statement of Strawberry Mountain and I challenge you to be more mindful of the fate YOU are making for yourself and this planet that we share.
The Mission:
Strawberry Mountain is a buy-sell trade shop in Denver, CO that caters to all eras of fashion as a source for self expression, current trends, and sustainable shopping. Our mission is to up-level the buy-sell-trade fashion market in Denver by keeping fashion and sustainability top of mind. We strive to be a destination for fashion lovers who value the importance of a sustainable wardrobe consisting of recycled and second hand pieces. Whether you’re looking to switch up your wardrobe or downsize your belongings for a boost in the bank account, this is the place where self-expressive, fashion-forward, minimalist, and maximalist dreams can come true!
We believe in paying a fair price for our merchandise and charging a fair price in return, paying our employees a living wage, fostering sustainability awareness within our community and beyond, and sharing love and light with all humans.
If you are a local artist, business, or entrepreneur and you’re interested in collaborating with Strawberry Mountain, please send us an email! We’re excited about community building and we love featuring locally made goods in our store!
“Be excellent to each other”
In Gratitude,
Nadia
