The consignment store, Fashions Anew, has operated in Oak Park for nearly three decades, providing resale clothing to generations of Oak Park women and visitors to the village.
But in early spring, the shop, located at 183 S. Oak Park Ave., closed up without notice and its owner, Zita M. Marciulionis, disappeared, along with clothing and the funds for items on layaway.
The sudden departure of Marciulionis has sparked upset by those who say they shopped at Fashions Anew for years and trusted the owner. Calls to Marciulionis were not returned.
Customers and nearby business owners say that sometime in March the windows of the storefront were covered from the inside with brown butcher paper and a sign appeared on the door saying that the store was closed for Spring cleaning. By early April the shop was empty and a new sign appeared stating that the storefront was available for rent.
Alan Heffelfinger, owner of Oak Park Records, which is located next door to Fashions Anew, said as many as 20 angry women have come into his vinyl record store asking what happened to the consignment shop.
“I’ve had a couple women say, ‘I had designer clothes over there, and she owes me money,'” Heffelfinger said.
He said that at some point before Marciulionis departed he could see through the cracks in the paper and noticed that the store was cleared and the clothes were in garbage bags.
Several employees of local businesses in the area said they remember seeing a moving truck parked in front of the store shortly before the shop was emptied. Heffelfinger said the day was April 1. He noted that he witnessed Marciulionis moving items from the store into the truck.
Oak Park resident Joyce Smith, 60, said she took several items to sell at Fashions Anew in September, but when she returned the store was closed.
“I’m a little bit stunned,” she said. “You expect local businesses to be there for you.”
Smith said she turned to the Internet, but the store’s website, www.fashionsanewinc.com, had been taken down.
“I feel sorry for people who paid money out of their pocket for layaway for clothes they (never received),” she said.
Recent reviews of the store on the popular website review blog Yelp.com also show that disgruntled customers are wondering what happened.
“I had been consigning clothes here for years — went by to see if any of my stuff had sold and they were gone,” a Yelp user identified as Mary F. said on April 14. “I had several hundred dollars worth of items in the store to be sold — and the place is now completely empty. So disappointed a business owner would do this to her customers, especially long-time customers, who trusted her.”
Another Yelp user, Vivian V., left an angry review on April 10: “I’m very disappointed business closed without letting customers know!!! I’m wondering, does anyone know how we can get the money that is owed for clothes that were dropped off and sold!!!! The sales ladies that were there were very nice … but it’s too bad that the owner has no class!”
Reached by phone at her home in Berwyn, Vivian Valguaranera, 68, said she spoke to a police officer who patrols the area and who allegedly witnessed a large truck parked outside the store prior to its closure.
“I don’t care about the money at this point, but to tell you the truth, I’m just angry; she could have had a big sale,” she said, noting that she had about six items on consignment at the shop.
Calls to GLA Property Management, which overseas management of the building, were not returned.
Village spokesman David Powers said Oak Park police were not aware of the shop’s closure. He said that Village Attorney Paul Stephanides said that if legal action were taken, it would likely be between Marciulionis and Fashions Anew patrons.
“In most instances this ends up being a civil case,” Powers said.
Meanwhile, Amanda Romano, manager of Trends consignment shop at 810 North Boulevard in Oak Park, said several customers are turning to her to find out what happened.
“They want to know where their stuff is,” she said, adding that neither she nor any of the other Trends employees have heard anything about Marciulionis’ whereabouts.
She said that although the closure of the shop has sent more consignment shoppers to Trends, the disappearance of Marciulionis has made patrons more skeptical.
“They come here and ask us about our policies and procedures,” she said, noting that “we need that trust between the customer and the company.”