For over 24 years, Platinum Plush Fashions has been a community hub of Southeast Seattle, offering trendy, affordable fashion with a personal touch. Founded by Nikita Mathis, the boutique has grown from a small, mobile operation to a local favorite. In this interview, Nikita shares her journey, the importance of supporting small businesses, and what makes Platinum Plush Fashions a unique shopping destination. Whether you’re after celebrity-inspired pieces or rare throwbacks, there’s something for everyone at Platinum Plush.
This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.
Tell us about the apparel you sell at Platinum Plush?
Platinum Plush Fashions is truly the gateway of fashion. I like to think that we are the bridge, the gap between what you see celebrities wear, what you see your popular fashion models on Instagram and TikTok wear. We bring it right here to Platinum Plush Fashions first. So a lot of what you see here in store, you don’t see at the big box malls.
Talk about your journey as a small business owner.
So my journey started way beyond my years. When I was a little girl, I watched my auntie and my grandmother get dolled up for special events and special occasions. And as a little girl, I really looked up to them in beauty and in fashion. That’s where I first learned about fashion, through them.
Throughout my adolescent years, especially middle school, I became really a fashionista. I can remember winning best dress contests. And then just one thing led to another in my adult years. I was introduced to this business by a family member who wanted to help me create something so that I could not just be working paycheck to paycheck. I come from a medical background. Before I opened up Platinum Plush Fashions, I was a medical assistant for one of our major hospitals here. I kind of went out on faith and decided to become an entrepreneur. And 24 years later, God’s been good to me, I’m still here.
Have you been in the same location for all 24 years?
Yes, I’ve been in the same location for 24 years. I started out of the trunk of my car. I was known as “The Shoe Lady,” and on weekends I would pack down my car and do door-to-door sales at the local nail salons and hair salons. People really liked to see me come in because they always knew that I had the most fun and fashionable shoes, sandals, and heels – at affordable prices.
What are some of the highs and lows of being an entrepreneur in the fashion industry?
Finding balance. Just finding balance with basic expenses, keeping the lights on, keeping the rent paid, keeping the store stock, keeping employees paid. There’s always a constant challenge of balance with that, but I would say the rewarding part of it is that we get it done by any means necessary.
I always say that if you want it bad enough it’s almost like cutting off your air circulation. If you want to breathe, your business will be successful because if you want it bad enough, you’ll get it done. I’ve had blood, sweat, and tears and over the years.
I’ve met some phenomenal people. There’s organizations like Intentionalist, Homesight, Seattle Office of Economic Development, who has been really, really supportive with some of the funding that they have provided for my business to keep me alive. And so, shout out to the community for wanting to see this business last another 24 years.
What are some of your favorite small businesses, either in the neighborhood or greater Seattle area?
- Shout out to Glam Slam.
- I love Island Soul over on Rainier.
- I also love Red’s. I’m a foodie, so there’s a lot of eateries that I love to support in our community.
Back to the question on weekly fashion trends, what’s trending right now? What’s hot?
So what’s hot right now is the whole Kendrick Lamar trend. We’re talking your baggy jeans, we’re talking your crop top box style cut t-shirts, statement tees are making a comeback, and then jerseys. You’ve got your throwback jerseys, your Michael Jordan, your Kobe Bryants. Those things are just are priceless pieces. So those are still trending.
As far as the ladies go, well, you know, we sell sexy here. We sell edgy, we sell funky, we sell exotic, we sell your birthday look, your special occasion look. And so people often shop with me when they’re stepping out on the town and they want to stand out.
Could you say a little bit about why shopping intentionally and supporting small businesses is important to you?
I think it’s very important to support small businesses, especially small businesses in your own community. We are often the gateway to employment for folks who can’t get employed for whatever reason. We offer them opportunity. We offer them training. And we offer them a fun and safe working environment.
Again, there’s folks sometimes that don’t have the skill set, they don’t have the training to even get into major corporation doors. And so, small businesses, we welcome that. And we are truly the hub to community.
You described Platinum Plush as a community hub, can you say more about that?
Platinum Plush Fashions is a community hub because not only are we a fashion boutique store, but this is truly a place for gathering. People come in, they might come in with a broken heart or just wearing their heart on their sleeves. And the communication, the relationships that are built here – people leave here feeling better than the way that they felt coming in.
So, I always tease and say, it should be Platinum Plush Psychiatry because I do a lot of, if you will, free counseling. You know, I’m not a counselor, but the people from the community are beautiful, they’re colorful, and everyone has a unique story. And so, I’ve seen Platinum Plush build relationships. I even heard that a couple met here and they formed a relationship!
What should a customer expect when they walk in the doors for the first time?
A customer should definitely expect fun. When you walk in here, it’s definitely a vibe. We have all the latest music playing. We keep it stocked with fun, affordable fashion, and it’s a wow factor. So people are presently surprised when they walk in here. Especially my curvy ladies often think “Oh, you won’t have anything for me.” But yes, we do. So we’re definitely a shopping destination for your curvy, your vivacious, your voluptuous women.
And then people are pleasantly surprised at the prices. We have a $10 sale that goes on year round. And so people really feel like they can shop here and afford to shop here. We have something for everyone. People say, “What is your demographic? You know, who shops with you?” I would say your 15-year-old up to your 65-year-old and everything in between. We truly have something for everyone.
What else do you want people to know about Platinum Plush Fashions?
I want people to know that Platinum Plush Fashions embodies fashion, but we go beyond that. We teach youth how to make fashionable items, like we have a beanie cap and a trucker cap station where they can come in and they can make their own caps. Young people can just create something fun and fashionable. We offer that service, and also we offer custom silk screening. We have been the official t-shirt vendor now for Kube 93 Summer Jam. If you remember the summer jams that used to take place, I was the t-shirt vendor for over 16 years with them. Also the t-shirt vendor for the Seattle Hemp Fest. If you ever see a vintage Summer Jam t-shirt, it was probably made and bought from Platinum Plush Fashions.
We do custom silk screening, memorial tees, uniforms, club tees, you name it. I think that’s the little secret gem about Platinum Plush Fashions that people don’t know.
We also sell a lot of throwbacks that sell for up to $300 on eBay because they’re hard to find.
These are the rare items that you just can’t find everywhere, and these are official. No bootleg. So, yeah, so this is Krenshoff, your Nipsey Hussle friend, of course Kobe Bryant, and then we’ve got your Will Smith. Again, these are gems, and we have it here at Platinum Plush.
For our ladies, you can see that we offer a lot of birthday style dresses, a lot of exotic wear, and then accessories. We’re really, really popular for accessories as well. Lots of cool accessories. Floral earrings are what we’re popular for.
We also have a $10 sale rack. So some of my VIP customers , they know that that’s the rack that they want to check out for because it’s only $10. We also sell like yoga sets, so if you’re into workout gear, we sell workout gear for ladies. We also sell vacation wear, so if you’re looking for a good bathing suit for summer, we’ve got you covered.