Home CultureBlack-Owned Montclair’s Dem Two Hands Boutique Announces Closure

Montclair’s Dem Two Hands Boutique Announces Closure

by Victoria Marie Moyeno
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Dem Two Hands boutique located at 61 N Fullerton Avenue in Montclair has announced the closure of its storefront after a 30-year run. The shop’s owner, Marion Lake, originally from Guyana, explained that the impact of the pandemic and loss of a loved one had become impossible to maintain the brick-and-mortar shop, however, Dem Two Hands will be available online. Read on to learn more about the closure of Montclair’s Dem Two Hands and what to expect from the online shop.

Dem Two Hands

Dem Two Hands is set to close sometime at the end of May.

The website states, “Our store’s name was inspired by the colloquial language of designer/business owner, Marion Lake’s native Guyana. It is a testimony and exaltation of the creativity and resourcefulness of art crafted by hand. As the adage goes, ‘Tools are made, but born are hands.'”

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It continued, “Working with her own hands — particularly as a seamstress — is a gift and talent that Lake learned from her mother and a skill that she honed when she came to the U.S. as a teenager and studied at FIT, earning a degree in textile design. We will celebrate 30 years this September. Marion’s mission has always been for, ‘women to feel comfortable in their skin, regardless of their size, shape, or age.'”

dem two hands

(Photo credit: @dem2hands)

According to a report on Montclair Local, women’s empowerment was what Marion is all about. Even when her mother told her to leave running a business to her brothers, she pushed on – becoming a go-to in the area for authentic Guyanese/African/Caribbean designs for three decades.

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“Financially, I just couldn’t do it anymore,” Lake told Montclair Local. “It was a fantastic time together. I am going to miss you greatly more than I could imagine right now. But I’m not the young whip-whip-snapper that started here 30 years ago. I’m much older now. And I feel like I’m grinded down. I need to take some time. Thank you for all your support every day, all the time.”

Fret not, Lake and her team have shifted to e-commerce and created an online store where they will continue selling original Dem Two Hands creations as well as accessories from other artists. Shop the designs here.

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