South Philly Review

As students at St. Maria Goretti High, Janae Didonato and Monica Mullett were rule-breakers, especially in clothing class.

"While we were supposed to be making boxers and pillowcases, Janae and I were making pencil skirts and dresses," Mullett, 22, said of her 23-year-old partner in crime. "We were always getting yelled at for not following directions."

Years after their 2003 graduation, the life-long locals -- Didonato of 11th and Durfor streets and Mullett (pronounced "Mullay") of 10th and Mifflin streets -- would most likely be praised for their nonconformity.

The duo, whose looks and, more noticeably, personalities could easily have them mistaken for sisters, are setting up shop at 1928 E. Passyunk Ave., quite literally. Aci Nae (pronounced ah-see-nay) Boutique -- a twisty combination of their first names -- will offer custom-made clothing and on-the-spot alterations.

"We had our down times and we're really close," Mullett said of their relationship that dates back to high school. "We want to kill each other sometimes, but we love each other. There are times where we're like, 'We're done!' but five minutes later, we're sewing."

Considering they design and stitch every one of the 100 pieces in their casual chic and couture line, also dubbed Aci Nae, the hours can get grueling. With hearty laughter bubbling over thick South Philly accents, the girls are a team through thick and thin, coming to an avenue that also is generating major buzz.

From 6 to 10 p.m. Feb. 28, the store will see its grand opening, making it the newest addition to Passyunk's revitalization, which has seen recent high-profile places like 1540 Hardware, restaurant Cantina Los Caballitos and coffee shop Black-N-Brew join the strip. Keeping true to their jet-set lifestyle as frequent L.A. visitors, the owners of Aci Nae will roll out the red carpet to greet guests like R&B/soul singer Blu Cantrell, whom the two have styled through their work for Capitol Records and the general public, including high school students from their alma mater and people they've met while networking at the city's hot spots.

Inside the 500-square-foot space, guests will be treated to beverages from event sponsor Belvedere Vodka. Didonato and Mullett will be taking orders from anyone wishing to get a custom-made cocktail dress, gown, swimsuit or men's wear from their 1819 Couture For Men line.

"Passyunk fits us," Didonato said. "We're from South Philly and we feel like no one in South Philly has a place that caters to custom-made clothing. So that's why we want to bring it [here]. We grew up here, so it's important to us to bring something different. And we think it will bring Passyunk back."

The boutique is another step for the already business-savvy duo. From her junior year in high school until just 11 months ago, Didonato managed several fashion-forward shops, including Blondie's Boutique at 520 South St., where she first garnered notice for designing (and wearing) her pencil skirts and T-shirts. In Didonato's senior year, a West Chester University student shopping at the trendy store inquired about her outfit and asked if she'd like to feature more of her work in the university's annual fashion show. Not wanting to go it alone, Didonato asked friend and fellow fashionista Mullett to join her. Debuting 20 pieces, including skirts and jeweled tanks and Ts, the designs flew off Blondie's shelves after the owner realized their potential.

After graduation, a Capitol Records exec came to the store and was so taken by the designs, she offered the two positions styling for the label's videos -- like Pharrell's "That Girl" in '06 -- and artist appearances in L.A. Since then, business has been generated mostly by word-of-mouth.

Mullett works in bottle service at 32 Degrees Lounge in Old City -- which she plans to keep so the promoting and networking of Aci Nae continues to grow -- and is how Aci Nae connected to sponsors Belvedere and 32 Degrees. The boutique also has funding from a private backer. Mullett's experience as an office manager for a jewelry store on Jeweler's Row has benefited the day-to-day -- from keeping books to keeping customers happy -- of Aci Nae.

Overwhelming for most 20-somethings, the girls thrive on being at the helm.

"Right now, me and Janae are handling everything from the sewing to the designing to promoting, networking, all the internal work, all the paperwork that needs to be done, the design of the store, to actually hands-on painting," Mullett said. "It's our baby."

Their new space allows the designers to move equipment from Mullett's current residence at 11th and Mifflin to the store's basement. The women plan to continue sewing everything in the same timeframe: four to five days for swimsuits, pants, tops and about two to three weeks for gowns. If orders are more than they can handle, the two would consider hiring additional staff. With prom and wedding season approaching, Didonato and Mullett said they have their work cut out for them, especially since their clientele will most likely be ages 16 and up.

"We can work off anything, that's the whole beauty of it," Mullett said. "Especially with prom, girls want to design their own gowns."

There is no limit to what the women can make, whether it's from a client's imagination or a couture replica. Prices range, depending on the fabric -- which the women travel to New York City's fashion district for because of the variety there, picking mostly bright designs and intricate patterns -- and cost up to $500. Rack pieces go for $30 and up, with the average about $200. Men's apparel -- including graphic T-shirts and pants -- run the same. The store will sell from several other lines, like Paris Hilton's and Jennifer Lopez's Just Sweet. Despite looming words in the news like "recession," the women say their merchandise is affordable and serve a need since its the only store of its kind they know of in South Philly, a big reason they feel success is just around the corner.

To keep the momentum going, the women said they plan to offer hours few Passyunk shops do, and hope their neighbors follow suit.

"We're trying to get Passyunk to stay open later," Didonato said. "We'll be open until 9 p.m. on weekdays, 10 p.m. on Saturdays and we'll be open from 12 to 6 p.m. on Sundays. We're really trying to get people to come back to Passyunk, they have all the new restaurants and storefronts and it's really being built up and I definitely see great potential in the next few years. It's probably going to be like the new South Street."