Hidden Gems: Meet Samira Husein of Dakota + Rowan

Today we’d like to introduce you to Samira Husein.

Hi Samira, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Kids’ resale wasn’t on my radar until I came across a shop in South Pasadena that sold gently used children’s clothing, toys, and more. I was an avid thrifter for myself, when it came to my closet or furnishing my home, but it hadn’t occurred to me that I could do the same for my daughter. After my first visit to the shop, I was hooked. Kids outgrow their clothing so quickly – it seemed like a waste of money to buy new when there were more sustainable alternatives. Sadly, this shop closed during the second year of the pandemic – but I saw an opportunity to keep its spirit alive.

I opened Dakota + Rowan in Sierra Madre, CA in July 2021. Admittedly, it was a rocky start. Although I had managed retail stores, bringing my vision to life as a one-woman show was a different ballgame. Just a couple months after celebrating the shop’s one year anniversary, I made the decision to relocate from my 400 sq ft store (which was tucked away down an alley behind a local coffee shop) to a 970 sq ft space on the main boulevard. Looking back, it was a huge risk. I signed my name to a two-year lease hoping that the customers who I had befriended that year would continue to support this little venture of mine – and they did, in a big way.

With the relocation, I was able to begin offering a curated selection of women’s clothing alongside the kids’ inventory. My goal was to create a one stop shop where mothers could check off all their boxes without having to visit multiple different stores, kids in tow. I also wanted this new shop to be a place for community. In that vein, I’ve begun collaborating with other mom-owned businesses for pop-ups because I am all about uplifting other women!

Dakota + Rowan will be celebrating 2 years of business in July, but it feels like I’m just getting started. I have so many projects, so many ideas that I can’t wait to share with my customers!

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
While there were plenty of hiccups with the business – for example, my air conditioning mysteriously stopped working during an intense heat wave in September of 2021, leaving me with no choice but to relocate my business altogether in a very short time-frame – (I’m talking less than a month to close shop in one location and fully open in another), each bump in the road has ultimately ended up being a blessing in disguise. I’m so proud of how much the business has grown since relocating and all the struggles along the way have for the most part been worth it.

Prior to Dakota + Rowan I had been a stay at home mom for several years. It was difficult to navigate that transition. I think the most challenging part of starting and growing a business has been the personal sacrifices I’ve had to make. Being at work 6 days a week has meant spending less time with my daughter. The mom-guilt has been strong.

By no means has it been easy, but I think I’ve grown a lot on a personal level and I wouldn’t change that.

Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Dakota + Rowan is a woman-owned thrift shop for mamas and littles. Here, you’ll can find a curated collection of gently loved clothing for women and kiddos, as well as sustainably-made toys and stationary and prints from local artists.

This is a place powered by community. Our pre-loved inventory comes from the families who trade in their items for store credit, giving their gently used clothing, shoes, toys, and books a second life. Dakota + Rowan is committed to finding new homes for any merchandise that we intake through our trade process. We do not throw away any unsold pre-loved items, and aim to repair items that need a little extra love. We’re in the business of making things last! With that being said, we try to limit waste in the store whenever possible. We encourage you to bring your own bags when shopping with us, but do offer recycled options. Ultimately, our hope is to challenge the stigma of choosing used and to make doing so more accessible.

With that being said, we’ve most recently launched a subscription service to help make choosing used even easier. We currently offer gently-used capsule collections curated with your child’s style, sizes, and preferences in mind, shipped directly to you at a monthly or quarterly basis.

While I am certainly proud of all that the shop is doing to limit waste and inspire others to do the same, I am most proud of the community that the shop has bred. Moms often come and hang out on their lunch breaks (with or without their kiddos) just to hang out and chat with other moms (or me!) – and I love that. I love that the shop is a space where people feel comfortable to pop in and say hello. I love that my encounters with customers rarely feel transactional. Community is so important in motherhood, because motherhood can be so isolating.

If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
Grit, staying humble, being receptive to feedback and the drive to constantly improve the experience I’m offering have all been necessary throughout this journey. But I would argue that I have been successfully primarily because of the relationships I have built with my customers and I think often about what would make their visit to the shop more enjoyable or productive.

Contact Info:

• Website: dakotaplusrowan.com
• Instagram: dakotaplusrowan_

Image Credits
Gina Pecho (all photos but the one of the women’s clothing, which is my personal photo)