MAY 2008 - Rapid River Magazine

R A P I D R I V E R A R T S
Asheville Shops
Constance Ensner – Designer &
Store Owner Credits Mom for
Design Flair
Successful Asheville designer
and store owner
Constance Ensner’s destiny
began with a Barbie doll, at
her mother’s knee. Inspired
by her mother’s own
clothing designs, she fashioned
an evening gown for her doll out
of a discarded silver Teflon ironing
board.
Later, she would design her
own clothing, gleaning ideas
from catalogs and clothing magazines,
and wearing her creations
to school.
A clothing/home accessories designer
and owner of three contemporary women’s
clothing/accessory stores in Asheville,
Ensner is a down-to-earth fashionista and
artist, passionate about fabric and eager
“Whenever I come to Asheville I have to
shop here.” - Katie Hatcher, Denver, CO
to assist women in “finding their own
aesthetic” while shopping in her stores.
Schooled in Europe and studied in pattern
making, she is no ordinary shopkeeper.
I visited Ensner at Constance Boutique,
her store at Biltmore Station, and
was greeted in the parking lot with a
cheery “hello” and a wide smile. A woman
who seems to truly love her work, as well
as her customers, she was clutching a
swath of yellow, floral fabric, explaining, “I
love it, though it’s not my color usually.”
The fabric was headed to a shelf in
her back studio, where her stash of florals,
stripes and solids awaits
transformation into napkins,
pillows and clothes.
The store, meanwhile, was
filled with colorful eye
candy at every turn – in
the form of clothes, shoes,
purses, hair accessories,
jewelry and sunglasses
- with exposed pipes at
the ceiling and rhythmic
music playing, giving it
an energetic, artsy vibe.
She describes the store as
“dressier because it has more room.” She
recently opened Constance, located in
Arden, which she describes as an “edited
version of the Biltmore store.” Her
downtown store, Context, is more casual,
with a large selection of jeans, t-shirts and
accessories. One day, it will be something
much different, she says.
“I would like to convert Context (the
name a blending of the words Constance
and texture) to something more like a gallery,
with all of my own designs,” she says.
“But the time must not be right – I haven’t
found the right seamstresses yet.”
It’s just a minor stumbling block for
Ensner, who is likely to persevere. She’s
already overcome many challenges along
the way, such as the end of her marriage,
which forced her into sole proprietorship;
flooding at her store; and a broken back
occurring during a hiking trip. She ascribes
her successes – her three stores especially
– to “serendipity.”
“I didn’t plan on owning three,” she
says. “But each was a great opportunity
that just came my way.” Meanwhile, she
makes it clear that a guiding force in her
life has been her mother. A framed dress
of her mother’s hangs in one of her stores
and she’s currently working on an “Andy-
Warhol-like” artwork of her mother’s face
to display in all three stores.
“My mother taught me a lot and
created an interest in the art and drama of
fashion,” she said. “I want to honor her
vision.”
Constance Ensner
Constance’s Stores
Constance Boutique, Biltmore Station, 2 Hendersonville Road, Asheville
(828) 252-4002, Mon. – Sat. 10 a.m.- 6 p.m., Sunday noon - 5 p.m.
Context, 62 Haywood Street, downtown Asheville, (828) 350-6006,
Mon. – Sat. 11 a.m.- 6 p.m., Sunday noon - 5 p.m.
Constance, The Overlook at Lake Julian, 100 Julian Lane, Arden,
(828) 650-6566, Mon. – Sat. 10 a.m.- 6 p.m., closed Sunday
by Pam J. Hecht
Call to find out about our May sales event celebrating
Constance Boutique’s 23rd anniversary. www.ConstanceBoutique.com
Vol. 11, No. 9 — Rapid River ArtS & CULTURE Magazine — May 2008 11