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Sequined Patriots jerseys and denim rainbow fringes are making their way to the fancy mall thanks to our favorite local online retail app turned IRL.
Wowqing 21-inch faux alligator bag, $888, Bogosplit. / Photo by Leonard Greco
When I met siblings Kenella Cineus and Keyla Williams and BFF Adriano Pinto at their recently opened Bogosplit outpost in Copley Place, I instantly appreciated their sense of style. Kenelly wore ripped jeans with open boot tongues and a chic scarf draped over a cashmere three-quarter length coat – very IG worthy. I wanted to take a simple photo of the founders in their new store for my stories, but before I could get my phone out of my purse, Kenelly said he had an idea for how to stage the photo. I knew immediately that he was the visionary of the group. But first he needed to get a copy of the paper because it had just appeared in it.
The media attention isn’t surprising considering Bogosplit’s novel concept: an online marketplace for independent fashion designers, many of them local, with a brick-and-mortar store to match. And not just any other – one with some serious 21st century improvements. Keyla walked me through the shopping experience when I visited and showed me around a fitting room where you can try on a piece of clothing, scan the QR code on the tag and purchase right from your phone. If an item doesn’t fit, she explained, you can easily contact the designer through the Bogosplit app and order another size to be shipped directly from the supplier.
From left, Adriano Pinto, Keyla Williams and Kenelly Cineus at the new Copley Place location in Bogosplit. / Photo by Mona Miri
Access to both the Bogosplit app and store is not only convenient for customers; it’s also invaluable for aspiring designers, as running your own boutique or even a pop-up can be challenging. You need someone to occupy it, and of course there are astronomical rental costs. These roadblocks inspired Keyla, Kenelly and Adrian to launch Bogosplit. “Through our marketplace technology, we allow vendors to be a part of the storefronts… without having to be physically present,” says Keyla.
After the great success of their original location on Assembly Row, which led to a move to a larger, modernized space in the same complex, the trio decided they wanted to give designers more visibility in the luxury market. Copley Place was an ideal choice to showcase up-and-coming brands like Wowqing, headed by a recent MassArt graduate who makes custom handbags and convertibles; Greylock, a one-man designer of leather handbags from New England; and Mel the Clothing, a line of bejeweled denim jackets, purses and shirts (including one of my favorites: the “Bling Rainbow Fringe” denim jacket).
Stunning pieces include the ‘Bling Rainbow Fringe’ jacket by Mel the Clothing, $250. / Photo by Mona Miri
Our time was up just as Kenelly returned with a copy of the paper. He informed me annoyed that it was not the paper in which they were listed. But that didn’t stop him from crafting the perfect photo — or the perfect showcase for independent designers and artists.
It first appeared in the print edition of the January 2023 issue with the headline “Grab the Bag”.