Matsu-Winner March 2008

Polina Fashion LLC is a fashion production company headquartered in Boston who has produced fashion shows, events and photo shoots nationwide. As an effort to enhance the fashion industry in the Boston area, Polina Fashion LLC has partnered with Bostonfashion.com to celebrate the best boutiques in the area as determined by the shoppers.

Matsu first opened in 1980 with product design and then grew into jewelry and clothing and home accessories. The owner, Dava Muramatsu, listens to her customers and takes their input close to heart. She graduated with a degree in graphic design and therefore is able to put her knowledge of design and understanding of the color palate into creating the ideal shopping environment. She believes that clothing must have movement and helps each customer find the perfect fit. She says that once the customers come into the store, they keep coming back.

The atmosphere in the store is created to trigger people’s five senses. For Dava, the environment of the store is one of the most important things and she is against selling online because she doesn’t want to lose the environment that is created at Matsu. She is very hands on with the customers and hopes to inspire them through the items at the store.

Oftentimes people will look at a piece of clothing on the hanger and walk right by it assuming that it would never look good on, or be right for them. Dava encourages her customers to try on clothing that they might ordinarily overlook. The clothing that is offered at the store is for any type of lifestyle and she encourages people to have an open mind and try them on. “Whatever feeling they would like to portray in their expression/the way they dress they can find in here. It can be sensual without showing too much skin.” Matsu is all about breaking the stereotype of what people were programmed to think. “Once it is broken they can be unleashed and live life to the fullest through the clothing.”