New downtown boutique to focus on sustainability

Feb. 18, 2019

There’s a new boutique coming to downtown Sioux Falls with an emphasis on sustainable and ethical fashions and products.

Sara Jamison is opening Terra Shepherd Boutique & Apothecary at 218 S. Phillips Ave., the space that A League of Your Own is vacating after March 10.

Jamison is a Sioux Falls native who graduated with a degree in journalism and marketing from the University of Nebraska, Lincoln. She lived in Lincoln briefly after graduation before returning to Sioux Falls, where her retail experience has included time at Scheels, Target and most recently Elegant Mommy.

“I wanted to make more sustainable and ethical fashion and product options available right in Sioux Falls rather than having to seek them online,” she said. “There’s something about being able to touch and feel and interact with the product that’s so powerful, and I wanted people to be able to do that right here.”

She already has launched the e-commerce side of the business, with a limited selection of accessories, skin care, home goods and toiletries. Those will ship in eco-friendly materials. The full store will include a variety of women’s clothing, accessories, beauty and wellness products.

She takes into account environmental and socioeconomic impact when choosing merchandise, she said.

“I look at every step of it – the materials and how they are sourced, the actual production of the product, the packaging and whether it’s eco-friendly and compostable and the afterlife of a product,” she said.

Jamison was drawn to those sorts of products when she became pregnant with her son and eliminated household products with certain chemicals. She wanted to take the same approach with her fashion but found it challenging to source the right sizes and styles online.

“To me, it’s really not about buying the right or wrong products,” she said. “I just want to offer ways to make small changes because I really believe small changes made over time can have a huge impact.”

The name Terra Shepherd draws on the Latin word “terra,” meaning earth.

“And ‘shepherd’ was in regard to the idea of being a caretaker or keeper, so keeper of the Earth,” said Jamison, who credits her husband for the business name. “He suggested it when this was just a dream, but it’s all the store has ever been to me, so I never considered another name.”

She plans to do minor remodeling to the space and be ready to open this spring. She plans to hire two part-time employees.

“I love that you can feel the hustle and bustle of downtown in that location,” she said. “There is such a positive vibe, and I’m really excited to see the store come alive there.”

Before opening the storefront, Terra Shepherd Boutique will hold several pop-up events. The first is Feb. 23 at Urban Archaeology from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. To see the schedule of upcoming events, click here.

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New downtown boutique to focus on sustainability

There’s a new boutique coming to downtown Sioux Falls with an emphasis on sustainable and ethical fashions and products.

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