Visal Sam’s love of bold fashion and vibrant color stems from her childhood shaped by Cambodia’s civil war. At Visette Boutique, she helps customers find one-of-a-kind dresses from her selection of locally and globally sourced designs.

Visette Boutique serves individuals or groups seven days per week, by appointment only.

Story
Fashion “is the thing that made me happy all my life,” Visal Sam reminisces fondly. Visal grew up in the Cambodian jungle while the country was being devastated by civil war, and moved to Seattle at the age of nine. “When I first came to the U.S.,” she recalls “what inspired me to work hard was…to be successful so I could wear what [the models in] Vogue magazine wear.” Fashion has always been Visal’s greatest source of energy and inspiration, and this passion is palpable to anyone in her presence.

In 2015, she took a leap and opened Visette Boutique to nurture that passion and fulfill a lifelong dream. “Money does not make you happy,” she declares, “it's doing something that's burning inside you.” Visal helps everyone express the best version of themselves through what they wear. “The magic of looking and feeling great, it seeps into other aspects of your life,” she says, “confidence can take you farther than anything else". Visal has seen this firsthand with many of the people she has dressed over the years, from the women in her corporate office to her male roommates.

Visal curates the dresses in her boutique with great intention, including selections from local designers. She has a deep appreciation for the artistry that goes into design, and hopes to inspire this same appreciation in Seattleites who generally place very little value on fashion as an art form. By hosting events like Art Walk at the boutique, she hopes to enable more passionate artists and designers to share their craft with the world because “it's what makes the world beautiful...and it actually makes us more loving.”
Fun Fact
Despite owning pieces by Versace and Valentino, Visal still shops at Goodwill!
Business Owner
Visal Sam

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