Angela Forte

Owner

At 7 years old, I had an obsession with a pair of these distressed taupe cowboy boots. There was nothing I wouldn’t wear with them. A teal skirt and tank, a belted oversized t-shirt and leggings-basically anything and everything! And although my friends and family teased me about this statement piece, I didn’t care because I was expressing myself through my fashion choices. As a shy, relatively easy going kid, I found my clothing choices spoke for me and that definitely never changed as I progressed into my teenage years. Most of my teenage nights were spent cutting up Vogue magazines and making collages (now called mood boards) all over my bedroom walls. I was fascinated by red carpet looks, casual celeb style, and anything remotely related to the luxury designer world (Versace, Gucci, McQueen). I would rummage through thrift and vintage store racks and would find my own look that no one else had. My first job in retail was at the Gap in downtown Los Gatos and I loved it. I didn’t know it then, but this chapter in my life served as the catalyst to building the foundation of what I represent today. I honed my customer service skills and man, could I fold down an amazing denim wall. I would even do “extra curricular" projects and create vision boards for management. After college, I worked for a marketing firm, running creative projects for a home building company, and hated it. I would sneak in fashion mag reads, sketch and take my lunch breaks perusing fashion boutiques. Surprisingly, they fired me, so I took charge of my passions and decided to get my masters in fashion merchandising and to work in retail. I worked at a friend's boutique for free just so I could help her buy (going to LA market was the best!) and wow, I felt alive again. Post grad school, several jobs, a recession and two children later, I turned all my hard work, experience and passion into my dream career- a boutique owner.

It’s truly a full circle moment for me. My combined experience in retail, sales, and marketing all fueled my passion for fashion and all things creative. It served as the stepping stones to creating a wonderful shopping experience at CN. With every passing day, including both ordinary and abnormal days, at the root of Crow’s Nest is a heart full of passion and knowledge about this industry, fashion history, designers and brands.

Come visit us soon. Xoxo, Angela.