What this indie boutique knows that big brands don’t

For Sheena Goldhagen, personalization is everything. She opened her South Beach, Miami resortwear boutique, Nā Lei Boho Clothier, last October and quickly became known for her styling services and in-store tailoring and customizations. 

“My customers call it a ‘one-stop-shop.’ The vibes of the boutique allow tourists to feel like they’re taking home a piece of Miami and unique pieces they’ve never seen before,” she says. “Mothers and daughters and fathers can all shop in my store, which is a very cool feeling to be able to make happen in a little corner shop next to the big corporate Anthropologie.” 

Nā Lei carries clothing lines from Miami, Bali, Tulum, Turkey and India, as well as jewelry, accessories and home décor. Here, she shares her strategies for attracting customers and what changes she sees coming in 2026. 

—Interview by Marcy Medina, edited by Bianca Prieto

How did you build awareness and attract customers when you first opened?

Thankfully, I had a following of local customers and visitors from the Hamptons who saw me at all the markets, and I previously did wholesale for my own line, Nā Lei. I first locked down a pop-up space at my favorite vibey spot, The Standard hotel. Once everything sold out in a week, I knew it was going to work, so then I got The Caroline Beach resort, a boutique in Southampton, one in Old Town Ibiza, as well as other locations in Miami Beach and upper Buena Vista and south of Fifth.

I also did the first-ever fashion show on Lincoln Road and the first-ever boutique rooftop parties. Sponsorships, local DJs, photographers and models made it something magical. Then the features came, and I felt like, “OK, I can do something special here by myself and I don’t need a huge team." The only day I don’t work is Saturday to keep Shabbat. 

What strategies do you use for retaining customers?

I don’t care how big or small my brand will be, I will always do markets and special local events because that’s how I started and that’s what I love—being with people, getting to style them and seeing them consistently. 

I also have an Instagram account, which I’ve always worked hard on and love managing, keeping it true to myself and what I want to represent. Honestly, my customers are incredible and loyal and all have become friends. Whether they come in to shop or not, they always refer me and my store to their friends and visitors, and they represent me when they wear their incredible pieces. When it’s a true word-of-mouth referral, there’s nothing better than that. It’s not paid, it’s not an ad and it’s not made up.  

I will begin the New Year focusing more on growing my website and doing more photoshoots and growing in a broader way, but nothing too big. 

What are the biggest challenges for you as an independent boutique and how do you handle them?

I thank God that I haven’t had any massive challenges up to now, but a very big one is coming my way soon with the massive construction of Meridian Avenue off of Lincoln Road. This is now going to be my first major challenge of how to survive, maybe how to evolve into something different, bigger or smaller, but whatever comes my way, I know it will be fine because I’ve gotten where I am today by being a passionate, hard-working person who truly loves what she does and is obsessed with her customers. I tend to have one or two employees who work Saturdays and at events, so growing that may need to be something new as well. 

Are the holidays your busiest time or is it some other time of the year? 

Art Basel is definitely my favorite time and my busiest time, followed by the holidays, but the entire winter season, when people are traveling from their cold homes in Canada or New York and are here shopping on vacation, feeling happy and allowing my pieces to exaggerate that experience, is great. Getting to spend time on or helping everyday customers buy gifts are my favorite days. It doesn’t have to be a packed store to be a good financial day.  

Because Miami Beach is known to be empty in the summers, I thought I would have to travel to the Hamptons or get back into wholesale again. But I didn’t! Everyone who was leaving for trips ended up coming to me to dress them and style them, so it was amazing, such a blessing!  

What kinds of activations or promotions are you doing for the holidays?

I did a Black Friday to Monday store sale and I might have a holiday shopping party. If I can get it together fast enough, I am planning a New Year, New You activation with my good friend and incredible entrepreneur/designer Ariel C. Baril of RIELLI swimwear. 

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The SKUpe is curated and written by Marcy Medina and edited by Bianca Prieto.