From Groovy to Couture, Elephant's Trunk Turns 40

When brothers Robert and Rafael Brache opened in 1971, they began by selling clothes common at the time, from tie-dye shirts to faded jeans and lava lamps.

"We were hippies and our shop reflected it," said Robert Brache, who was only 19 at the time. Rafael was just 21 when they set up in Mount Kisco.

Over time, however, the store's taste shifted to more formal attire, from upscale and classy dresses to tuxedos.

"As we grew up, so did our clientele," said Robert, who is now 60. He lives in western New Castle while Rafael lives in Patterson.

Describing his items as elegent couture and for special occasions, Robert noted that the store caters to various age groups, from parents to teens going to the prom, to bar and bat mitzvahs. The fashion includes ornamental wear, including "fascinator" hats, an items recently popularized by Kate Middleton in her marriage to Britain's Prince William.

"The whole store is really interesting," said Susan Ward, a Chappaqua resident and the store's sales associate.

Over the years, Elephant's Trunk, located at 111 E. Main St., became a staple in Mount Kisco, with the store's owners also the property owners. Originally, the Brache brothers rented the placed when they moved in four decades ago. Several years later, their landlord intended to put the building, a white turn of the century structure, up for sale. Instead, the brothers got a chance to buy the property, having managed to make a down payment and getting a generous, 10-year interest-free loan, which they repaid.

Things were going well for the Brache family, until one morning. It was Aug. 17, 2000 when a fire wrecked havoc on their original building, which was roughly a century old and had a long history that included a hotel and barn space for carriage horses.

The fire was put out but the place could not be saved. The building had to be torn down and the store's inventory was decimated.

"It was terrible," Robert Brache said.

Yet, it did not take long for the Brache brothers to recover. They were able to get most dress orders pending at the time to be replaced, with vendors speeding up shipment. They were also able to secure a temporary location further north, on Route 117 and around the border with Bedford Hills.

By 2003, a new brick, 3-story building rose from the wreckage and Elephant's Trunk returned home. The new building was roughly the same in space as the old but with a more open floor layout, allowing for more light to come in. Robert Brache said that the changes provided for a more spacious and elegant atmosphere. In addition, the new structure gave brothers a chance to act as landlords. With Elephant's Trunk using the second and third floors, the bottom has been rented out to a slew of complimentary businesses, including , (it sells handbags and shoes) and , a seller of custom dresses.

Throughout the years, several things have remained constant. Robert explained that this includes customer service, and finding unusual things.

"There's fashion from all over the world right here," he said.

To celebrate the anniversary, Elephant's Trunk will be holding a party and trunk show by Stephen Yearick, which will include his evening gowns.