Gersemi & Hnoss opening soon downtown

The Fredericksburg fashion world is about to have a kaleidoscope of color splashed on the “runway” that is Caroline Street, but not because spring time is upon us.

In a couple of weeks, a new women’s clothing boutique called Gersemi & Hnoss (pronounced “her-semy & noss”) will be strutting its stuff into downtown Fredericksburg. For the owner, Tamara Villegas – who also operates The Frenchman’s Corner of Fredericksburg with the assistance of her husband, Agustin, and daughter, Mekhala – the timing couldn’t have been more serendipitous.

While traveling throughout Europe late last year, the Villegas family was wandering through the cobblestone streets of Amsterdam, stopping at tiny cafés and bistros along the way. Tami – as she is fondly referred to by family, friends and customers – has always been drawn to vibrant, brilliant bursts of color, which could be attributed to her Puerto Rican heritage. Therefore, it was no surprise to her family when she was pulled into a quaint, colorful, clothing boutique like a magnet to steel. She immediately fell in love with the rainbow of colors, bright prints, and flowing dresses that could move with the size and shape of all women.

Tamara Villegas, right, with her daughter, Mekhala.

That night, she tossed and turned as she dreamed about the store and the potential it could have in Fredericksburg. Besides being a Le-Cordon-Bleu-schooled pastry chef, Villegas has always had a passion for fashion. When she awoke the next morning, Tami marched directly to the boutique to engage the owner. Shortly thereafter, Villegas negotiated to become only the third U.S. franchise for the Dutch company, but she still needed to find a space to operate from!

Michael Bublé croons in a line of one of his songs, “I guess it’s half timing, and the other half’s luck.” This was certainly the case for Villegas. Shortly after closing the agreement in the Netherlands, Gersemi & Hnoss found its new home only a couple of months later in the space that was until recently Thistle & Ash at 806 Caroline Street. After doing some minor painting and securing approval from Fredericksburg’s Architectural Review Board for the planned signs, the boutique owners plan to have the store up and strutting in no time.

Gersemi & Hnoss were sisters in Scandinavian mythology, known as the Goddesses of Beauty and Sensuality, respectively. Like its name, the store will sell very unique women’s clothing, as production in the Netherlands occurs only twice a year.