Crest Hill – “Whoever is struggling and thinks that they cannot do anything, I want to prove that you can do anything that you can put your mind.”
They are the words of Kate Onsksi, owner of Kate’s unique boutique on Larkin Avenue in Crest Hill, and his journey to open his own clothing shop proves to be his truth.
Before starting his own business, Ongoski worked as a health care activist. She said that she wanted a change in speed.
He said, “I started thinking what I wanted to do, and I always like to stitch and I always liked fashion.” “I thought,” Let’s bring those things together. “
In 2020, the Kovid -19 epidemic hit Ongoski, just before the hits, started their custom fashion business online.
“The next thing I knew, I was starting a business in an epidemic, which really worked well because I was working from home and all the other people were sitting on online shopping,” he said.
As he started, Ongoski worked with his small home office in the coal city, packing and shipping order for his online business.
Then he started taking his goods to the farmer’s markets and other programs in the state before going to the jolit.
In 2022, however, he suffered a major shock. To see a friend, Ongoski was involved in a serious car accident that impaired his dynamics for a year.
“They say that the house has the most serious accidents, and they are correct,” said Ongoski. “I was a mile away from my house, and my surgeon said I am lucky that I still have my foot.”
During her recovery, Onskki thought she could lose her running business, but some of her mother’s help helped her draw her.
Oganoski said, “My mother really went with me for a year, while I had to use wheelchairs and crutches.” “He helped me package everything and keep things organized. He is in the 70s, so I did not expect him to do so. She kept saying, ‘I don’t know how you do all this to yourself,’ but we were able to adapt and cross. ,
Helping her through her recovery is not the only way to affect her business by Ongoski’s mother. His love for sewing went to him with his mother and grandmother.
“I did not get poor, but fashion was not really a priority for us,” said Onskski. “We went to a private school, so we had uniform for him, and we made a lot of our clothes. The only stuff we really bought were clothes for the church on Sunday and some things after school.
“My mother made two clothes of my four cousin bridesmaids, and my grandmother and great aunt made a quilt. They all collected shirts and clothes all year old, and they used to sit together and make them in quilt that they would donate shelters homeless or to those who could not give blankets.
“It was always important to me. I loved staying around him and helping him. ,
As soon as Ongoski grew up, she joined the 4-H C club, where she learned sewing, crotting, quilting and embroidery among other skills, which she now uses in her business.
Ognoskie sells handmade clothes for children and a line of pet fabrics he makes himself in the boutique of Kate, as well as brands of wholesale vendors.
She wants to expand her custom and handmade offerings.
Ongoski said, “I am trying to get more designs before promoting my custom pieces online, but I have sold them to craft fairs and farmers markets.” “I am also working on expanding my Menswear Prasad in the shop, because now we are mostly focused on women’s clothes.”
While most of the prasad of Ongoski are from other brands, she also provides unique services in the boutique to customize the fabric, including changes and sewing as well as custom T-shirts and secondary printing, embroidery and bedzaling.
Another important factor for Ognoskie is strength. Most of his shop items cost less than other shops, which comes from the desire to help his community.
“I try to keep a more fair price,” he said. “I know that children want to have fashionable clothes, but it is difficult to tolerate. See the price of groceries.
“Fashion can become a low priority, but I want everyone to create an inexpensive shopping experience for everyone. It has always been one of my main goals. ,
To assist in that goal, Ongoski said that she regularly promotes promotion and a loyalty program with punch-cards on her website and on the physical shop, which she officially opened in August.
Ongoski said, “I always want people to feel welcome and as they could go to the community anywhere, if they needed,” said Ongoski. “For a long time, one of the customers set fire to her house and told me that all her clothes smell like smoke. I asked her to come in and gave her a voucher what she wanted at the shop.
“It is very important to help the community. Everyone requires a support system. If we do not help each other, we do not have much. ,
The idea of more involvement with the community and helping other residents and businesses is that Ongoski was run to join the Crest Hill Chamber of Commerce, which held a ribbon cutting ceremony on 25 January to welcome them to the community.
“When you start it is really the biggest thing to get your name,” said Ongoski. “Chamber has been a great help, and I hope this is a way that I can include more with the community.”
Although Ongoski has been operating a stand-alone shop for only a few months, he already plans to expand.
During 2025, she said, she hopes that something will be renewed to give her a big place to make changes for customers, and, if all goes well, she expects to open a second place in the Jolit or Plainfield area in the coming years.
“I like this place very much,” said Ongoski. “It has been great to get out of the house and is able to socialize more with its customers. I want to live in the same surrounding area, but the present is not very close to the shop.
“I think it would be good to have a place that is more dedicated to my custom work and changes and for a regular shop because some machines that I use to customize the pieces takes too much space.”
Ongoski said that the growth of business has been heavy almost several times, but she has been very happy how things have gone.
“I don’t believe that I have received it a year or a year and a half ago,” he said. “It’s a lot of stress, but I will not change it. I am lucky that I have a wonderful family who has supported me. ,
Kate’s unique boutique 1701 n. Locin is located in Avenue, Suite 304 in Crest Hill.