The Moms Behind Greenwich Avenue Boutique Nobelle! | Greenwich Moms

This week’s Meet a Mom interview features not one but two stylish moms, Stephanie Goureau and Sara Nagrani, who own Nobelle on Greenwich Avenue. For over 20 years, these two moms have been helping women find unique, fashionable and functional pieces they love. “Sara and I have both been in Greenwich a long time, and the close relationships that we’ve built with our customers over the years is not just a huge source of pride, but also helps us curate collections that speak to the unique personality of the area and its residents!” explains Stephanie.

Nobelle is known for its full-service, customized styling options, from personal wardrobe building to shopping parties.  Expect to find not only popular brands but also emerging designers. “Our clients enjoy knowing that they won’t arrive at a party to find anybody else in the same outfit,” explains Sara. We spoke to Stephanie and Sara about what else separates Nobelle from other shopping destinations in Greenwich, must-have pieces for this season and more!

(From left)  Sara Nagrani and Stephanie Goureau

Can you please tell us a bit about yourself?
Stephanie:  Sure! I guess you could say that fashion is in my blood.  I was born into a French family that had been in women’s fashion for over 100 years.  My grandmother had seven stores in Paris selling women’s Pret a Porter attire and accessories, and in the late 1980’s my mother and father moved the family to New York City to expand the business. We had three boutiques in Manhattan when I was growing up—I did my grade school homework in the fitting rooms and styled my first customer at age 11 (Mom was so proud).

I have been involved in women’s retail stores in Greenwich since 2008 and have loved every minute of it.  Sara and I decided to open Nobelle together in August of 2020 in part because we were so excited to emerge from a difficult lockdown and bring some positive energy to Greenwich.  I currently live in Manhattan with my husband and three young children, some of whom you run into in Nobelle …doing their homework in a dressing room after school!

Sara: Ha,  I’m not sure I can go back quite that far, but I’ve been in fashion for 30 years, and I still love every day of it!  Stephanie and I have similar backgrounds in that we’re both immigrants; in my case I was born in Israel and came to the States at the age of 17. After working in the fashion in New York City for over 25 years and in Greenwich for almost five years, I opened Nobelle with Stephanie, and I feel very lucky in have met so many wonderful people here. My husband (Aviv), son (Liran) and dog (Hunter) and I live on Long Island but I am currently looking to move to the area so I can give up the long commute.  I believe in great energy and positive thinking, and that’s what you are greeted with when you walk into Nobelle. My passion is buying and dressing our clients in the latest fashion trends.

Why did you choose to base your business here?
Sara:  I have always loved this area!  Greenwich has a really rare and really wonderful combination of small-town friendliness and big city sophistication.  It’s a great place to be in all four seasons, and I love that I’ve really gotten to know not just my clients, but their whole families.  There really aren’t many places in the world that you can say that about!  Also, we love the sense of community and the opportunities to partake in local events and give back.

Stephanie: Totally agree with Sara.  I love Greenwich not just for the beauty of the area, but also because of the multi-generational mix of clients we have here.  And I also have to make a big shout out to all the other stores on the Avenue. When Sara and I opened Nobelle we were greeted with open arms and really made to feel welcome here.

Sara Nagrani and family

What separates your boutique from others?
Sara: Firstly, the energy of our amazing team is unparalleled. I would for sure also point to the uniqueness of the collection that we’ve curated.  We have some of the most unique jewelry and handbags on The Avenue, and we frequently have people pop in just to see what’s new!  We hear every day from customers about  compliments they received from pieces we styled for them—we love that!

Stephanie: Our friendly and fabulous stylists are a huge part of what makes us special—they really bend over backwards to make our clients happy.  Last week one of our stylists spent more than an hour on the phone with a producer in Paris just to special-order a unique piece that we’d sold out of really quickly.  Customers regularly send in photos of themselves in outfits that our stylists put together for them, and I think that’s a testament to the relationships that they build with their clients.

What are your must-have pieces for this season?
Sara:  I am thrilled about our Spring denim selection.  We have wide leg, flare bottoms and frayed edges in white and vanilla colors that really look great.  Our denim shorts also just came in and I’m loving some of the unique touches, from subtle distressing to a single, perfectly-placed stitch.

Stephanie: We have beautiful lightweight blouses and dresses in white and stunning floral prints.  This spring feels very romantic and feminine, and I think that’s going to pair really nicely with some of our core items, from leather (and vegan leather) jackets to everyday pull-on pants in 20+ colors and prints…perfect for moms running around all day!

Can you tell us more about your private styling sessions?
Sara: Absolutely!  Private styling sessions are a huge part of what makes us unique, and we take great pride in the bespoke nature of the service.  Clients can block out some time or make appointments and we fully wardrobe them.  More importantly, it allows us to teach people how to get more unique looks and great outfits out of fewer items—how to build great looks with what they already have.  We also help people build great new looks and outfits from pieces that they already own.  Clients can send in photos of pieces that they like but rarely wear, and we help them incorporate that piece into a new look.

Stephanie: We also  host styling parties and events for our customers, which is a service that the busy moms of Greenwich in particular seem to really enjoy.  Our busy moms get together in the store, enjoy drinks and finger foods on us, and have new looks put together by our fabulous stylists.  It’s a lot of fun for everybody.

Stephanie Goureau and family

We love to support local businesses. What are your favorite places in town to:

Get coffee: CFCF

Go for girl’s night: J House

Go for date night: Hinoki

Go for dinner as a family: Meli-Melo or Pasta Vera

Get your hair done: Warren Tricomi

Get your nails done: Empy’s

Have fun as a family: Walking and shopping on Greenwich Ave, weekend brunches with the Grandma at the Delamar, and being on the water.

 

This story is sponsored by Nobelle. 

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