Feb. 28, 2020 by Carol Britton Meyer
There’s exciting news for downtown Hingham! Two vibrant shops — Sarra and MAHI GOLD — will occupy the remaining retail space in the Lincoln Building this spring.
“We’re super-excited. The building is now 100 percent leased,” said Charlene Flynn of TLC Real Estate, who owns the building with Reuven Levy. “We’ve waited and been very patient — so many people wanted to rent the spaces — but we wanted to put the perfect mix there, not only for us but also for the community.”
MAHI GOLD — a lifestyle brand with a focus on women’s dresses, but not stopping there — has roots in Chatham and Edgartown. The shop will occupy three of the remaining four retail spaces, while Sarra — offering high-end skin care and products — will move into the other space. TLC Realty already occupies the fifth retail spot.
MAHI GOLD is owned by Brian and Becky Voelkel, who moved to Hingham in October 2018. Their daughter, Tierney, is 3-1/2-years-old, and they also have a son, Matthew, who is 14 months.
“When deciding to establish our roots as a family here in Hingham, we always knew that opening a store here played a part in that. We have grown to love this community and feel extremely fortunate to raise our children here,” Becky said. “We are thrilled at this opportunity to expand our retail footprint and grow our business within the Hingham and other South Shore communities. Many of our Chatham and Edgartown customers live on the South Shore and have encouraged us to open a store here for many years.”
Community has always been a big part of the Voelkels’ business. “We lived in Chatham for five years prior to moving to Hingham, and we love being actively involved in all aspects of the Chatham community as a business and as a family,” Brian said. “We truly believe in the role a downtown plays in the vibrancy of a community, and that’s why we felt Hingham Square was the perfect place to open our newest store.
“The new Lincoln Building is a beautiful cornerstone to Hingham Square, and we are surrounded by a great mix of retail and dining — in the Square and beyond."
The Voelkels pride themselves on creating a shopping experience that really resonates with their customers. “It’s an experience that leaves them feeling connected and taken care of,” Becky said “We are excited to bring our brand and a great mix of first-class brands for men, women, and children to the community and look forward to opening our doors this spring.”
Becky is the designer of MAHI GOLD, which was established in 2008 in Chatham. MAHI GOLD is known for its signature prints and impeccable fit — and all MAHI GOLD dresses are 100 percent USA-made. “Our goal is to keep you looking great and feeling even better,” Brian said. “Our products wash and wear magnificently, pack easily, and are the perfect compliment to the classic moments that shape your life.”
MAHI GOLD’s 3,600-square-foot flagship store was established in Chatham in 2014 and features more than 50 lifestyle brands beyond MAHI GOLD, including Peter Millar, Faherty, Patagonia, Holebrook, Smathers & Branson, among many others.
MAHI GOLD, which opened a partner store on Main Street in Edgartown in 2015, currently wholesales their product throughout the country, in the Caribbean, and internationally to 200-plus boutiques, as well as directly through their store in Chatham, the partner store in Edgartown, and the mahigold.com website.
Sarra is coming soon!
Sarra (pronounced Sah-Ray) will be moving from its current location at 104 North St. "We are hoping to open sometime in April," said owner Lauren Genatossio.
Sarra will continue to offer its award-winning brow, makeup and skincare services, along with exciting new offerings to explore in the coming months. "Our focus will always be on our clients, creating a beautiful environment to truly connect and share beauty wisdom and rituals within a safe and welcoming space that offers a break from busy daily routines," said Genatossio, who grew up in Hingham. "It will be a place where our clients can come as they are and feel honored and cherished and guided toward beauty choices that [best] serve them." Her first business was located in a small studio on Newbury Street.
Genatossio has fond memories of growing up in Hingham -- from dates with her mom at Brigham's (these days it's The Bloomy Rind) to Paige's (now Stars), breakfasts with her grandparents, the British Relief, Nona's, The Colonial (now The Snug) the Bowl and Board, and Christmas in the Square.
"I am so glad my daughter, Celine, 5, is able to experience Hingham in the same way I did," she said. "There is not a spot in Hingham Square that I don’t have memorized like the back of my hand, and I am so honored to take up a tiny piece of that real estate."
It's a bittersweet experience for Genatossio to be moving to South Street, from what she calls her "beloved North Street," after more than 12 years at that location. "There are so many cherished memories between those walls, but ultimately, the building itself had a few challenges that I just could not overcome, and the new, smaller space on South Street will allow me to bring to life the exact experience I am hoping to create," she said.
The feel of the new space will be "quite simple," serene, and minimalist, yet extremely welcoming and comfortable. "There is something about a small/new space that forces you to be very concise with your design plans to bring out the best [your business] has to offer, without any excess or fluff," Genatossio said.
Sarra's offerings will continue to include makeup lessons, makeup applications, and makeup bag edits, along with the launch of new skincare services and a few holistic services/products that Genatossio said will be "a nice surprise."
There will also be exciting new products in addition to Sarra's longstanding private label makeup line and three skincare lines, including La Flore -- an organic, clean, green probiotic skincare line.
Sarra doesn't follow beauty trends and industry norms, Genatossio said: "We care deeply about the whole person and honor that person's inner and outer beauty. We uncover how our clients want to feel in their lives and help in any way we can to get them there. We grow right alongside our clients as we continue to raise families, perform jobs, face challenges, celebrate milestones, heal, and transform our lives piece by piece."
There's also a focus on guiding Sarra's clients toward a deeper awareness of their natural essence and ultimately helping them express their own beauty with more confidence and ease.
"It is so freeing to be an outlier in the beauty industry, marching to the beat of our own drum and working together to help build our clients’ self-esteem by sharing our stories," Genatossio said.
Sarra is named after her grandmother. "It's Armenian for 'Sarah,' but with a unique pronunciation," she explained. "My amazing grandmother was a makeup artist at the famous Jordan Marsh in downtown crossing for more than 30 years. Clients would wait in line to see her -- and only her -- because of her warm presence, kind spirit, natural beauty, and extensive knowledge.
"Sadly, my grandmother did not teach me her art because she had already passed away by the time makeup artistry 'discovered me,' but we were very close and I knew all about her life, her special qualities, and her essence," Genatossio recalled. "She was certainly guiding me from above toward this unexpected path. Every part of my business, and the positive experiences that I hope to create for both our clients and our artists, is to improve this environment and honor her legacy."
Watch for Sarra's new website, currently under construction -- www.sarrastudios.com. You can also follow Sarra on Instagram.
Residential units also fully occupied
All four of the one-bedroom apartments are also leased — to “young urban professionals,” according to Flynn. “Both penthouses are also occupied — by professional couples, one of whom relocated from Montreal. “They [all the residential and retail occupants] heard about us because we’re No. 1!” she quipped, “and from all our advertising and word of mouth -- the Lincoln Building being a top location.”