Artisans on the Avenue co-owners provide custom experience at their women's boutique

Cherry Hill, NJ (WPVI) -- Paid Sponsor Partnership: Philadelphia Corporation for Aging
Lisa Howe and Georgia Doyle have been helping ladies look their best for more than two decades, as co-owners of a women's boutique, called Artisans on the Avenue in Chestnut Hill.

Doyle describes their store as "very eclectic." She says the items they carry appeal to a wide range of women, from teenage girls to ladies in their 90s.

The store, along Germantown Avenue, has undergone several alterations.

"When we opened it was a co-op, so there were twelve of us all doing something different, handmade," says Howe.

Doyle says they started at the end of October 2001.

Three years later, the two branched out on their own.

"We moved up the street to a bigger store, and it morphed into gifts and accessories and jewelry," says Howe.

"We kept seeing places where there were needs. Our customers were looking for something and so we thought, 'oh, well, we could add that,'" says Doyle.

They opened Artisans at its current location in 2020.

"We tend to buy what we like," says Howe.

Doyle shows off a top from designer Christopher Calvin.

"He's from Chicago," she says.

They gravitate towards small U.S. designers.

"It makes you feel special when you buy something that's not, you know, everywhere, but is on trend," says Doyle.

Howe shows another shirt from mSquared.

The store is color-coded to make shopping easier.

"See all these clothes here are, like, greens and blues," says Doyle.

"And we keep all black pants on one rack," says Howe.

Doyle says they carry "full lines and then specifics."

"We have a jewelry line from Italy, Angela Caputi, which is very high end. We're the only store in Philadelphia who carries her," says Howe.

Shoppers get a personal, custom experience.

"A lot of our customers come through the door and go, 'I need help,' and that's what we do," says Howe.

"And we like to do it too. It's fun for us to dress people up," says Doyle.

"And we don't let you walk out of here unless you look great," says Howe.

"Making people feel good is probably the best thing we do," says Doyle.

"That's a win for us," says Howe.

Artisans on the Avenue
8434 Germantown Ave.
Philadelphia, PA 19118