Welcome to Astral Boutique!

Hello to friends and readers old and new, and welcome to the new blog home of Astral Boutique! Come visit my new Etsy store to see all the beautiful new things that I have found for you... and meanwhile, let's be blog friends, please?

Now I think that, for a first post, an explanation of "how I got the name" would be apt. 

"Astral Boutique" started as a character in my own mind, a stage name that I adopted for myself when I first started playing live music in earnest a few years ago. That was before I even had my own band, when I used to first accompany Chris in his group The Dazzling Strangers. He is "Christopher Stranger", and I couldn't very well be just "Sasha Soukup", could I? Since the genre of his work is often classified as "Space Rock", the "Astral" came naturally (I love all star names- Stella, Astrid, Aster, etc.), and since I have always liked to glam it up onstage (and in life), "Boutique" was a perfect last name. 

I adore that "boutique" is thoroughly, wonderfully French, and yet it's a word which has been completely absorbed by the American language-- so everyone actually knows how to pronounce it! And I love how "boutique" evokes a different image for everyone... the consistent theme being that a Boutique is always a carefully curated, intimate, classy place. 

This was all ages before I ever dreamed of opening a clothing store online, and to tell you the truth, I hadn't even thought of my stage name lately (maybe because I have been gadding about as Sasha Shamrock quite a bit more these days). Chris was the one who had the revelation for the new store (after we discarded such gems as "Fabric Forest", and "Bohemian Basement") (the latter of which Chris was actually disappointed that we didn't use)-- and it just made sense right away. Not only was the name totally ME, but it was a pun on the very idea of running a clothing store in this virtual ether of the online world!

Even better, the name implies the era which I specialize in-- that special time in the late 60s and early 70-- when fashion and thought was, well, a little trippy. Last but not least, "Astral Boutique" sounds a lot like the name of Van Morrison's amazing classic album, Astral Weeks, which is a reference I am more than happy to make!

Welcome to my new world. Sit down, relax, tell me a few secrets. We'll get you fitted out in the dress of your wildest dreams, ready for the next adventure. 

xoxo

Sasha

Comments

[Zombielace.blogspot.com]

Congratulations!! Love the story behind the name, it's perfect, and who doesn't love Van Morrison? Can't wait to see more of the fabulousness I've come to expect from you :~)

[Andrea Gutierrez]

congrats on your new endeavor sasha!! you know i'll follow you girls anywhere :)

[eyeliah]

yay, went thru all your archives so I am caught up. :-)

[Temple]

amen to the archive geeks. i too just went through your entire blog to witness the awesome that is sasha. one day, we will need to go through my mother's old 70s sewing books and magazines because they are tres enchante!