{"id":2221553,"date":"2026-01-04T12:06:08","date_gmt":"2026-01-04T12:06:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=2221553"},"modified":"2026-01-04T12:06:08","modified_gmt":"2026-01-04T12:06:08","slug":"this-consignment-store-benefits-the-louisiana-orchestra-entertainment-life","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/this-consignment-store-benefits-the-louisiana-orchestra-entertainment-life\/","title":{"rendered":"This consignment store benefits the Louisiana orchestra | Entertainment\/Life"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Long before resale clothing was the big business that it is today, the Encore Shop, a local women\u2019s consignment boutique owned and run by Symphony Volunteers, Inc., was a destination for quality pre-owned clothing at affordable prices.<\/p>\n

Nearly 60 years since it opened its doors, the shop\u2019s mission of donating financial support to the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra, as well as its merchandise \u2014 which includes cashmere cardigans, Italian leather shoes and luxe cocktail dresses and formal gowns, still have legs.<\/p>\n

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Piano keys on the front porch at the Encore Symphony Resale Shop on Maple Street in New Orleans on Wednesday, December 24, 2025. (Photo by Chris Granger, The Times-Picayune)<\/p>\n

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\u201cThey were way ahead of their time,\u201d said Laura Claverie, whose mother-in-law, Viola Claverie, is credited with proposing the idea for the shop after meeting a Philadelphia couple who supported a similar consignment shop in the City of Brotherly Love.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Terms like upcycling and sustainable fashion weren\u2019t yet part of the popular lexicon, yet Encore was an early exemplar of today\u2019s clothing-with-a-conscience movement. Resale clothing cuts down on the harmful carbon footprint of fast fashion. And by operating as a nonprofit supporting the LPO, Encore gives back to the community.<\/p>\n

The original concept for the shop, opened in 1966 on Arabella and Perrier streets, was to sell pre-owned ballgowns at discounted prices to raise money for what was then The New Orleans Symphony. Members of the Women\u2019s Committee of the symphony donated the gowns, and volunteers from the committee staffed the shop.<\/p>\n

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Formal gowns for sale at Encore shop on Maple Street in New Orleans on Wednesday, December 24, 2025. (Photo by Chris Granger, The Times-Picayune)<\/p>\n

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According to Laura Claverie, the Claverie family\u2019s involvement with the launching of the shop extended to her father-in-law, Louis, who bought an air conditioner for the shop \u201cso the ladies wouldn\u2019t perspire\u201d and to her husband Philip, who worked with his father to refresh the Uptown building that was its original home.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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The shop later moved to the current location on Maple Street and over time expanded its inventory to include casual clothing, jewelry, handbags, scarves and belts.<\/p>\n

Barbara Sands, who has dedicated years of service to the LPO, chairing events, volunteering at the Encore Shop and archiving its history, has a log of the proceeds that the shop raised for the LPO since its inception. Its initial donation in the $6,000 range grew steadily to more than $70,000 in each of the past 10 years.<\/p>\n

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Shopping for sales at Encore Symphony Resale Shop on Maple Street in New Orleans on Wednesday, December 24, 2025. (Photo by Chris Granger, The Times-Picayune)<\/p>\n

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Sands says the store has a firm footing with loyal, longtime shoppers. Toward the end of 2025, veteran Encore shopper Bennetta Addison popped in for one of her weekly visits. Her attire included turquoise earrings, an Escada handbag and ankle strap shoes, all purchased from the shop.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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In no time, she snapped up a terry sweatsuit-inspired set for traveling, a pair of black cigarette pants and a cotton poplin top. Addison\u2019s favorite find in her years of shopping at Encore was an Alexander McQueen dress that fit like a glove and was priced within her means.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is the only way I\u2019d have an Alexander McQueen dress for sure,\u201d said Addison.<\/p>\n

The same day, Angela Poulton and Colleen Perniciaro, both from Baton Rouge, headed to the shop in search of ballgown. In less than an hour, Perniciaro purchased a burgundy taffeta evening gown with overlayers of tulle, a one-shoulder black gown with gold floral applique, and a strapless black gown with a rhinestone-embellished bow at the bust, all for about $300, considerably less than the cost of similar gowns at retail.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Shoes for sale at the Encore Symphony Resale Shop on Maple Street in New Orleans on Wednesday, December 24, 2025. (Photo by Chris Granger, The Times-Picayune)<\/p>\n

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Perniciaro likes that the store carries multiple things in her size and that what may be old to a consignor\u2019s closet is new to hers.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were laser focused,\u201d said Poulton, with a mock-serious note that was counter to the fun the two had while trying dresses on.<\/p>\n

Encore takes new consignments daily and adds to the rotation as they come in. Everything must be in good condition. And although not every piece has a designer label, there are plenty of those.<\/p>\n

A quick browse revealed Hermes scarves, Valentino heels, a vintage Victor Costa gown with a dramatic ruffled slit, a suede Gucci bag with bamboo-adorned handles and a stunning, mint condition pair of 1970s inspired suede boots by Louis Vuitton. Occasionally, consignors bring in unworn items that are new with tags.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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A display case holds a tray of $4 jewelry, and there are purses and dresses for as little as $30. On the higher end, the Vuitton boots are marked at $600 for the selective shopper \u2014\u00a0still much less than the initial retail.<\/p>\n

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Looking through racks of clothes for sale at Encore Symphony Resale Shop on Maple Street in New Orleans on Wednesday, December 24, 2025. (Photo by Chris Granger, The Times-Picayune)<\/p>\n

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Each consigned piece is researched to determine its original price and marked down accordingly. Merchandise that doesn\u2019t sell is reduced in price. Consignors get 50% of the sale, and the rest goes to the LPO.<\/p>\n

Sands says the shop \u201cgoes with the times in terms of what people are looking for.\u201d In the 1980s, she observed that customers were purchasing workwear. Relaxed office attire and remote work later gave way to greater demand for pants and tops. More recently, she says Encore shoppers are seeking dresses.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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The dedication of the staff has been another key to Encore\u2019s success. Volunteers tend to stay on for years and develop friendships. Sands has been involved for more than 30 years. Jennifer Fonseca started as a consignor and shopper, then managed the shop for a decade.<\/p>\n

Unlike online resale shoppers, Fonseca says Encore\u2019s customers have the advantage of being able to come in regularly and \u201ctouch and feel and try on.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s the fun of Encore,\u201d Fonseca said. \u201cYou never know what\u2019s going to be in there. You snooze, you lose.\u201d<\/p>\n

Milliner Maria Etkind is one of several paid staff members in the shop (the rest are volunteers), where she styles displays and encourages customers to have fun with fashion.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cThere is something for everyone,\u201d Etkind said.<\/p>\n

While the majority of Encore\u2019s clientele are in the 35 to 55 age bracket, Etkind says college students also come in to scoop up jeans, denim jackets, tops and boots.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey break all the rules and make their own rules,\u201d said Etkind, highlighting an Indian blanket jacket with a Ralph Lauren feel that may appeal to students thanks to the western wear trend.<\/p>\n

Other on-trend finds: leopard pumps, Mary Jane flats, platform sneakers, a Tory Burch tote and Kate Spade loafers.<\/p>\n

True to its trailblazer roots, The Encore shop is still finding ways to be resourceful in its efforts to raise funds for the LPO. They market on Instagram and Facebook regularly. Manager Cat Conner is also looking for ways to utilize garments that don\u2019t sell instead of putting them into the waste stream. One idea is to donate them to organizations that will reuse the fabric.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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A local pioneer in the field of resale, the Encore Shop continues to keep the LPO well-funded by keeping locals well-dressed.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat sets us apart,\u201d Sands said, \u201cis that we support the LPO and that we\u2019ve been here so long.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\u2018 The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n

\u2018 Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.nola.com \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Long before resale clothing was the big business that it is today, the Encore Shop, a local women\u2019s consignment boutique owned and run by Symphony Volunteers, Inc., was a destination for quality pre-owned clothing at affordable prices. Nearly 60 years since it opened its doors, the shop\u2019s mission of donating financial support to the Louisiana […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2221554,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[25172],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2221553","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-entertainment"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/This-consignment-store-benefits-the-Louisiana-orchestra-EntertainmentLife.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2221553","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2221553"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2221553\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2221555,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2221553\/revisions\/2221555"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2221554"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2221553"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2221553"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2221553"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}