Welcome to Otra Vez!
Bear with us, Fashionistas!
We’re currently making changes to our site so we ask for your patience as some areas may not be perfected.
Thank you!
We’re now taking Spring Apparel
What we’re looking for:
1. Items in lighter, brighter Spring colors
2. Open toed shoes (not quite ready for sandals)
3. Handbags, especially in “trend” bright colors
4. Dresses, pants and skirts in lightweight fabrics
5. Lightweight cardigans and jackets
6. Capris (no shorts yet)
7. Scarves, hats, jewelry
As always, no appointment is necessary but please read our “How to Consign” page for further information and how to prepare your items.
Otra Vez featured at Who Knew Cities!
Alright, ladies. You’re in for a real treat with this next business. Men, pay attention. If you mention this place before your gal has a chance to come across it, you’re gonna score big time (and win her favor). My curiosity began after snapping this shot of a window display and showing it to Sharjah’s Creative Director, Janice Boatright. Janice noticed exactly what I did, which was the beauty of the reflection complimenting the colors of the outfits in the window. Janice has taught me through the years that it’s very rare for something to look this good by accident and she encouraged me to dig a little deeper. Within days I was introduced to probably one of the most sincere, talented and knowledgeable persons at their profession I’ve ever encountered.
The place is called Otra Vez Couture Consignment and it’s truly a very impressive business for us to write about. Exactly as Janice called it, Otra Vez’s owner, Alexa, had been a fashion illustrator for department stores. She obviously has a keen eye for what looks good and what doesn’t (she let Robert and I in the store). The first time I walked in I listened in as someone had brought with them a full box of designer purses and within seconds you could tell she was in her element. She efficiently went through the items, knowing what was in and out of season, all while making her customer feel like she was an old friend and they were simply catching up.
You can tell by the way Alexa carries herself that she is a genuine individual who just happens to be doing something she loves, in an area that she is naturally gifted. Her store was a hub of excitement with loyal customers (all women) going in and out, browsing, and catching up with the staff, while Robert and I were discussing how our being there would have been a great plot for an episode of “The Outer Limits.” Feeling outnumbered, Robert and I snagged her for about an hour to have coffee at Olmos Perk. Within minutes of us sitting down she impressed us by letting us know that she operates her business on Christian principals and a strict code of ethics. Whether you are Christian or not, I’d imagine even atheists would want to do business with someone that had these basic guidelines and we were impressed that she was willing to be held accountable to those standards.
So, what does Otra Vez Couture Consignment offer? Well, firstly, I want to describe what consignment actually means to anyone who may be new to this (I surely was). It simply means that you bring in your clothes, Otra Vez will sell them for you and you then get a percentage of the final selling price. Currently anything that is sold for under $100 the percentage is 40% and everything over $100 increases to 50%. The pricing is subject to a couple of mark downs of 20% for every three weeks an item remains unsold. After the second mark down of 20% the consigner can then donate it or it can be sold for next-to-nothing.
Robert and I do our research when we choose who to write a story about. Someone could approach us with all the money in the world begging for a story, but if it doesn’t mesh with our belief in good business practices, kindness, community involvement, great products and services, we’re not interested. We did happen to visit several other consignment stores to determine if we chose the right place and after what we saw going on at other places, we 100% give our full endorsement to Alexa and I’ll tell you why—she’s honest. Her job is to help you make money by getting your items to sell. If you bring something in that’s more than two years old, chances are she won’t take it (unless it’s retro). It’s not that she doesn’t love nearly all the items that come in (she literally squeals like it’s Christmas every time someone brings in their items). It’s that she’s done this long enough to know what will and will not sell. She also takes into consideration how you bring in your items. For instance, when people take the time to bring in their clothes cleaned, pressed and on hangers, she knows that they are as serious as she is about selling their items.
What’s really great about Otra Vez (and incidentally something lacking in some other consignment stores) is that Alexa believes in drop-ins. She wants to accommodate others’ hectic schedules and therefore doesn’t require an appointment. She may be busy with plenty of other customers, but Robert and I were fortunate enough to see first hand how efficient she can be, all while interacting with her long time clients as well as making any new ones feel very welcome.
We asked lots of questions, business owner to business owner, and it was refreshing to hear how humble Alexa is. The first thing she asked us was if we could mention Kathy Hoermann, owner of The Painted Pony, who got her started in the consignment industry. We then asked her about the name she chose for her business and, after hearing her excitement, it once again validated our take on her as a genuine person. She loves that her building fits with an hispanic flare that celebrates the culture of the city. It’s obvious that she loves her city and is proud to call San Antonio her home. She knew she didn’t want the cliché names that all other consignments seem to have (I’m not going to name names this time). She chose Otra Vez for its translation of “once again” and it truly personifies the second life that she affords so many items.
Alexa really focuses on the more high end, designer labels (i.e. Gucci, Chanel, Tory Burch, Prada, etc.) however, they do take boutique names such as Ann Taylor, Banana Republic and Chicos. As far as what actual items they carry it covers the entire spectrum—women’s clothing, shoes, boots, handbags, jewelery, scarves, hats and other accessories.
After we finished our coffee we went back to Otra Vez and walked around to take in everything. For all future clients we thought we’d let you know that there’s an alterations expert on one side of Otra Vez and a tailor on the other. If you see that perfect item, just not in your size, buy it anyhow and visit one of them. I know that Robert shops as a size 6 when he’s probably more like a 42, so he’s been single handedly keeping many tailors very happy, while I shop guilt-free as a size 2 (OK, honestly I have no idea what I just said… most guys by small, medium and large—we keep that stuff simple so we can handle important issues like running a country and voting (all hatemail please send to Robert).
Otra Vez is beautifully laid out. Alexa has such a good eye for what looks aesthetically pleasing. You could have 100 Mercedes Benz all jumbled in a pile and it wouldn’t look good; simply having beautiful items isn’t enough. It’s the same with Otra Vez. All of her items are in the best shape, but she knows exactly how to feature each and every one, as well as how to decorate her store, from the dressing rooms to the comfy couch the guys get to sit in when in purgatory (while their gals are in the dressing rooms).
Robert and I asked her about her community involvement as a result of her owning Otra Vez and Alexa shared with us her participation with the Battered Women’s Shelter and Dress for Success. Next to her register is yet another program that she provides assistance with, The Texas Foundation of Hope. Again, like the other businesses we’ve featured thus far, there’s something special about the idea of a movement to keep our community local. Alexa seems like she would give someone her last dollar and we want to reward business owners like her who practice what they preach so please think about going to Otra Vez and get a highly discounted price from a highly trusted individual instead of paying full price elsewhere.
Alexa manages a very engaging facebook page that can be visited by clicking here.