All Dazzle Set to Razzle Merrick

Bringing a dose of chic fashion sense to the bustling streets of downtown Merrick, All Dazzle, a hip fashion and accessory boutique, recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate their grand opening.

The ceremony, which brought out all manner of well-wishing dignitaries and community leaders, seemed to ensure a bright future for one of Merrick’s newest businesses, which first opened its doors four months ago.

All Dazzle owner Carol D'Amato said that her business is more than just a clothing store.

"All Dazzle is high-fashion jewelry and accessories," she said. "It is our first retail location...we're actually a direct-retail company similar to Tupperware, where we go to people's homes and do house parties and one-on-one sales events. We have representatives who will come to you and help to fashion-coordinate."

As for why she decided to include a physical storefront to her business model, D'Amato just thought it was time to expand.

"We just wanted more exposure," she said. "We’re just venturing out to another avenue to get to the customers."

That being said, D'Amato felt that setting up shop on Merrick Avenue was the perfect idea.

"I think that Merrick is a great community," she said. "I think that the community is welcoming us in a great way. They're excited about it and it's a great fit because they're very high-fashion around here."

Opening a new business in a troubled economy is always a risky endeavor, but D'Amato is confident that the current economic landscape will actually work in her store’s favor.

"I think that the price of gold right now is outrageous," she said. "People really don't want to spend that much to look good. You can still have a beautiful outfit and dress it up with costume jewelry and fashion jewelry and still have the same effect without all those extra zeros."

In addition to fashion jewelry, they also offer pocketbooks, clothing, belts, wallets and other assorted services, including a bridal section.

One of the many local elected officials who attended the grand opening was Hempstead town clerk Mark Bonilla.

"There's nothing more important for our local economy than for the businesses to succeed," he said. "We're here to support them, hopefully the community will see that they're here and shop local and boost our economy."

Merrick Chamber of Commerce president, Randy Shotland, was also pleased to help to introduce a new member of his group to the neighborhood.

"We support any new business owner that comes to town," he said. "We feel that it's an important part of our duty help our business owners in any way. We don't want people to go to the mall; we want them to shop here."

When customers come into her shop, D'Amato wants them to get the kind of attention they just can’t get when shopping online or in a big department store.

"Our tagline is 'Dazzle up Your Life.' So, when you come to our store, we hope to dazzle you," she said. "And not just with the product, but with the customer service we provide. We’re building relationships with the customer and we’re very passionate about what we do."