As I conducted this interview back in November of 2023 I imagined myself in a French cafe with the aroma of freshly baked croissants and the warmth of steeped tea filled the room, Simina Gentry, the spirited founder of Atlantic Children’s clothing company, joined me for a candid discussion that traversed the simple joys of life, the depths of art, and the intricate tapestry of culture. Our conversation danced through the comforting flavors of Samina's vegan chicken soup, to her reverence for George Washington, a fascination kindled by the book "The Man from Mount Vernon." Her insights remind us that the richness of history and the savoring of life's small delights are threads woven into the fabric of our individual worldviews.
Art, with its power to invoke a spectrum of emotions, often reflects the most authentic expressions of human experience — a theme we unraveled together. The works of romantic era composers served as a backdrop to our musings, illustrating how music can be a vessel for time travel, carrying us to moments steeped in nostalgia. We pondered the artist's intent behind evocative pieces that challenge the viewer, questioning if the discomfort stirred is a deliberate provocation or an unintentional consequence of truth in creation.
Beyond the palette of sensory and emotional reflections, Simina and I delved into her venture that intertwines commerce with cultural exchange. Her enthusiasm for education and connection shines as she discusses her European store, a gateway to transatlantic experiences. We unfurled the allure of European products, from their style to manufacturing standards, and the desire to enrich American lives with the essence of European tradition. As we wrapped up our exchange, the air was thick with gratitude—not just for the exchange of ideas, but for the promise of future dialogues that would continue to explore, enlighten, and connect.
Thanks for listening. Please check out our website at www.forsauk.com to hear great conversations on topics that need to be talked about. In these times of intense polarization we all need to find time to expand our Frame of Reference.
As I conducted this interview back in November of 2023 I imagined myself in a French cafe with the aroma of freshly baked croissants and the warmth of steeped tea filled the room, Simina Gentry, the spirited founder of Atlantic Children’s clothing company, joined me for a candid discussion that traversed the simple joys of life, the depths of art, and the intricate tapestry of culture. Our conversation danced through the comforting flavors of Samina's vegan chicken soup, to her reverence for George Washington, a fascination kindled by the book "The Man from Mount Vernon." Her insights remind us that the richness of history and the savoring of life's small delights are threads woven into the fabric of our individual worldviews.
Art, with its power to invoke a spectrum of emotions, often reflects the most authentic expressions of human experience — a theme we unraveled together. The works of romantic era composers served as a backdrop to our musings, illustrating how music can be a vessel for time travel, carrying us to moments steeped in nostalgia. We pondered the artist's intent behind evocative pieces that challenge the viewer, questioning if the discomfort stirred is a deliberate provocation or an unintentional consequence of truth in creation.
Beyond the palette of sensory and emotional reflections, Simina and I delved into her venture that intertwines commerce with cultural exchange. Her enthusiasm for education and connection shines as she discusses her European store, a gateway to transatlantic experiences. We unfurled the allure of European products, from their style to manufacturing standards, and the desire to enrich American lives with the essence of European tradition. As we wrapped up our exchange, the air was thick with gratitude—not just for the exchange of ideas, but for the promise of future dialogues that would continue to explore, enlighten, and connect.
Thanks for listening. Please check out our website at www.forsauk.com to hear great conversations on topics that need to be talked about. In these times of intense polarization we all need to find time to expand our Frame of Reference.
Welcome to Frame of Reference informed, intelligent conversations about the issues and challenges facing everyone in today's world. In-depth interviews to help you expand and inform your Frame of Reference. Now here's your host, raul Labres.
Speaker 2:Well, ladies and gentlemen, this is Frame of Reference. I started the recording just in the midst of my guest talking about things that she's obviously passionate about, and I think that's what I'm going to appreciate the most about our conversation today. Samina, did I say that? Yes, samina, right, samina Gentry, you got the name Samina Gentry.
Speaker 3:Samina Gentry. Yes, I got a name from a book, from an author. From the book she says that's right. I look online, I look up online and I found a country, another kind of state or a city, I don't remember in Africa named Samina, and I felt very honored.
Speaker 2:Sure yes, well, there's a very famous singer too, loggins, and Samina, back in the 60s, was a quite popular folk artist too. So there's some carriage there, I guess as well. Samina, you are the founder and the CEO, I'm assuming, of Atlantic Children's clothing company. I will actually just European all sorts of wonderful European items. But I appreciate so much for taking the time to be with us today. On Frame of Reference, I'm just in time with you at a time. Samina is a dynamo folks. You know if you're watching this, hopefully you get to see the video. But she is a passionate woman, passionate about many things that are wonderful, and I'm sure this will be a sparkling conversation. I'm going to try to just sit back and listen most of the time.
Speaker 3:Okay, that would probably be wise Very much. I am pretty much who I am, so you know, if I say something, please don't get offended. No one should get offended, Because I don't mean it in an individual, in a way towards anyone. I respect everyone and anyone.
Speaker 2:Wouldn't that be nice if everyone behaved that way these days. So well, samina, you had a chance to look at the spec sheet for the show and I did warn you about starting out with a my Favorite Things segment, so this can go wherever it goes. It's kind of a Roshaktian kind of exercise, where whatever comes to your mind just let it go. Don't try to think too much about things, but let them happen. So let's start out with something fairly easy. How about your favorite baked good, your favorite bakery Thing that you?
Speaker 3:like my favorite bakery. Well, my favorite bakery is the croissant. I'm sorry, I know many of you are expecting something extraordinary, but I do love the croissant and I love the croissant. That is like a very bad one. The French good is good because it's butter. There's no mystery why the French good is so good. I would say a croissant. I love tea. I don't drink coffee, so a croissant with a cup of tea, especially with a little cheese on top. And I'm a vegetarian. I've been a vegetarian for 25 years. I'm moving towards vegan right now, so cheese is kind of becoming a little foreign concept. But here and there I want to say treat, because treat is something that's healthy for you. Croissant is not a treat.
Speaker 2:I'm frank. You don't have to convince me about cheese being good for you.
Speaker 3:I'm moving Christmas time but I would say that's my favorite baked good. But I do have a favorite soup, because you're, she says, favorite food. So my favorite soup is the vegan chicken soup. So actually, the way I make it, it doesn't have any really solid items in the soup except the pasta, which is must be angel hair pasta and from Italy, so you can find that the whole foods are at the whole store angel hair pasta and there is a vegan, no chicken broth that you can use for that.
Speaker 3:So I put the chicken broth in the pot and I chopped some parsley Italian parsley and I let it boil for a few minutes. I get the parsley flavor into the broth, the fresh parsley, and then, when it starts boiling, I put the angel hair pasta, which is very teeny, tiny pasta and really only two or three minutes, that's all it needs and it is really really, really, really good. Especially when you don't feel good, when you have a cold, when you know, when you feel like I don't know, a little comfort food, I would say you know, so that's, yeah, so that's, I was, I was. I would say that that's kind of my foot.
Speaker 2:Nothing like those hot, simple things that, just you know, soothe the insides, right. So what?
Speaker 3:about a favorite book? Do you have a favorite book? I have a favorite. I mean, I have obviously many favorite books. Well, the man for Mon Bernon. So, the man for Mon Bernon, that's one of them.
Speaker 3:It's really about George Washington. It really got stuck with me and I read that book and I have it. It's so old, the cover is old, but you know, I bought about 20 years ago and I don't know how many times I read it. So that really goes into details of you know, george Washington's becoming the first president and his personality some of the personal you know. But really what struck me is the resilience that he showed, the determination, the balance approach, the courage and really, as an American, as my admiration for our country. You know, reading those books you just really heightened your view and how proud you are.
Speaker 3:Now, it's not the perfect country, no country is perfect but this is the best country and it's really in my opinion. Again, I respect everyone's opinion and so I want to make clear from the beginning, and it really struck me because also it's so important about the book, not only what it contains, but who wrote that content. And it is so important because there's another book I read about Thomas Jefferson, and I don't remember the author right now, but I read it's pretty much his biography, but it was one book written maybe in the column, another book written by another author, and you know, it's something that it has to do and, again, it doesn't necessarily mean that one author is good, one is bad. It has to do with your compatibility with right, your taste, and it's very, in that, very literal sense, right. Some I enjoy watermelon, some I not enjoy watermelon. Now, I don't want to downgrade the level of creativity that is in a book, but it really is important to round the line, the fact that no author is bad, no book is bad. It just matters who you are and we are unique, each one of us are unique and we need to respect that and we want to be able to recognize that. You know, some people like certain things, certain books some people may not like, but that's something I have observed, particularly as it relates to Thomas Jefferson. Which is why which is quite, you know, sort of Now doesn't mean I'm a history buff, it doesn't mean that I'm really all about history. It just happened that some books now I do love, goethe, for example.
Speaker 3:Right, for Van Goethe, he's a German philosopher and I love all of his books and and they speak to me, you know I love the fact that, like when Goethe writes something, he is going to the plot, into the plot. He's presenting the details of the plot, right, he is highlighting the emotions. But if you read his books, we, throughout the book, he takes breaks. And he takes breaks when he poses questions, rhetorical questions, in a way that makes you pause and makes you think, and those questions may or may not relate to the actual plot, but they relate to things that are human, are related to, and they may just stop and think.
Speaker 3:And I just love his books because it's not the continuous, you know, passion plot, you know, it's not also a biography that goes into what happened this year, what happened next year, what happened. It's really a plot, but it is really infused with a few philosophy. That's not boring, right? No, you know, right Right, oppenheim, I mean, there's so many other old philosophers, right right, aristotle, you know, Socrates, you know, and they're wonderful and I obviously read some of them. But the just the way the God writes his books and he was a philosopher it's, I would say, in a way that is making the philosophy more accessible, but not just accessible as an understanding, more accessible as far as practicing. Yet because his position, facts and the questions in a way that makes you think how to approach life, how to approach something in your life. Dot, now, it will be different after you read, maybe, that particular page where it contains that particular passage. Right, sure, so were you bringing it?
Speaker 2:Just because one of the questions was you bring an interesting point, though, too, that the art is how we approach it. Right. It's who, it's a speaking, it's a conversation almost between the artist and you. You know, so I've often thought of that how paintings will affect me one way, when you know, when I was younger, say, I saw a Jackson Pollock. And then, you know, 20 years later saw a Jackson Pollock and went, oh, now I get it, now I get it.
Speaker 3:Absolutely, because the painting, it reflects your thoughts, your emotions, it reflects what you think, and that is unique because you cannot have people that think exactly the same. You know, and you can have a painting that literally only has, like you know, a blue color, but you know what that color, that's so simple painting, may make you feel in a certain way and may make the other person feel in a completely different way, and you know, that's the beauty of art. Really, art cannot be judged. No one can judge art, because art comes from the heart. Everyone has a heart and you know, you connect with that, you are connected with us and you have to respect that. You cannot put a square in a run, it's just, you can't do that.
Speaker 2:You could try, but it doesn't work.
Speaker 3:It's a beautiful. Art is beautiful, Whether it's music, whether it's a painting, whether it's writing, it's just you know. You just have to respect that. That is why you can't really judge anyone, right. You just have to realize that, and you know what. You may not like it, but you move on. You don't have to disrespect anyone. You're entitled to not like something. You have to move on, Right? Anyway, that's what I'm thinking.
Speaker 2:That makes me think of a scene in Our Town by Thornton Wilder, and when George and Emily are first realizing that they're in love with each other, they didn't quite get it. And in the background, while that's going on, the church choir is rehearsing and the song that they sing is Bless Be the Ties that Bind. And it's such a wonderful, you know, combination of you know, I think art is one of the things that is a tie that binds. And if we can just, you know, kind of sit back for a moment and think for a second, okay, I have a reaction to this thing.
Speaker 2:Whether you like it or you don't, I'm having a reaction to this, and that's exactly probably what the artist was intending was to get you to just respond, and you know whether it's a good or a bad feeling. Art doesn't seek to, you know, do that sort of thing or put those values on it. Art just wants us to be alive. You know, art wants us to think and to respond in a way that makes us maybe think about something a different than we ever thought about it before. You know you're talking about the philosophical debates. You know they're all about just getting you to think what, if you know what, right.
Speaker 3:So Absolutely, absolutely. I think, so many ways and you didn't really touch upon a point that it is really a binding tool and it is, you know, particularly right now is so much needed. But you know, we, but for the art, for the art to do its job and to bind and to create, it must be uncensored. It must be, you know, and, and I think that you know, there's a tendency sometimes for people to define art and to structure it a certain way. That's acceptable, right, and I think that's, that's not. That's not art, it's something else, but it's not art, because art must be free, right.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, yeah, when you start to censor things you're saying this is. This isn't right.
Speaker 3:And the other thing is, you wanted to think of, of, of, of not to think, but more to be aware of the tendency of judging the artist from a different perspective than the artist self. And I think that people are jumping there the horse and going to the direction without actually pausing to see the art. Because, like you said, if anyone would just step back for a second and just enjoy that music or choir or painting, will there, there's this, there's, there is an internal awakening, because it must be, because we are alive inside. There must be internal awakening, but but there there's sometimes a tendency to jump over that and go after judging the artist. And I think that I think that's wrong, because because the artist must be free to express his emotions. That's what art is, and some people may love those emotions or fall, Some people may not.
Speaker 3:But you must, you know, and I'm talking here from a young girl and from every side, you know right, that's what I think art is true, it must be true, and you have to stay true to yourself and you must respect the truth, because then you are not really recognizing the authenticity of the art, You're not really appreciating that and you don't want art. You want something else, but you don't want art. And but some people may be within some consciously when, when they get into a you know, a place that you know is you know.
Speaker 2:Well, some people get very uncomfortable too right, the, the and a work of art can make them just uncomfortable. I don't like this. I don't like how this is making me feel and it's like well, number one, it's really not making you feel anything. You're responding to what's going on, so you know to to abdicate your personal responsibility for the feeling that you're having in response to it. That's sort of a problem in and of itself. But then take it another step and realize maybe that's exactly what the artist was seeking to do, that maybe the artist was upset themselves and was seeking a way to express that upset. You know, and and by doing so I mean look at Picasso's work. You know, picasso was kind of upset about the world around him, you know. So some of his paintings are so disjointed and so like, what in the world is he thinking? I can't understand it. You know well, that's because he was looking around the world going what is going on? I don't understand it Right.
Speaker 3:So we appreciate it because it's the truth. We see the truth in that painting. Yeah, that's what we appreciate the truth. You cannot be an artist. If you're not true, you just cannot Right. You work with no value. You can't sell that to the corner and you can't sell it anywhere. If you're not truthful to yourself and who you are, you cannot make art and you cannot compose music. You cannot.
Speaker 3:I mean Beethoven, I mean I mean all of his pieces are rich in emotions. You know Chopin. Chopin is, you know, beautiful and peaceful and and very melodious, and you know, very, very thoughtful, walking on the beach and so on. Beethoven has everything in one piece. He has a relaxation, he has anger, he has happiness, he has joy and all of a sudden he goes to the anger again. This was, this were his emotions, this is what he felt. And if you don't recognize that, you're not going to ever be able to perform a Beethoven piece that will be appreciated, because people are looking for you know, someone said you know people who don't remember why you say, but they will always remember how you made them feel. And that comes from the heart, that comes from the truth. Truth is at the basis of anything and everything, and you can't sidestep that in the name of anything. You just cannot.
Speaker 3:People try all the time, but it's you can do it, but you're not going to get it. That's what I'm trying to do, right.
Speaker 2:So we have the. How about a favorite music or song? Do you have anything of that one song that you go to, that you're go to song or a composer?
Speaker 3:Oh, my favorite song? Well, yeah, my favorite music is is you know, it's is Beethoven and Chopin.
Speaker 2:Okay, that's why you brought them up. Oh, okay.
Speaker 3:Those are my favorites. I like the Sonatas. I don't. You know, I have one particular in mind. I love Strauss. You know, danube Waltz, I mean, I would say, danube Waltz is beautiful. Okay, radeski Marsh, that's Johann Strauss, radeski Marsh. Okay and Okay, I was a Beethoven heroica. He composed that in Vienna. It was commissioned by a count. Back then the composers were obviously commissioned by counts and royalties to composers, and heroica was one of them.
Speaker 2:So it sounds like you're largely romantic. Would that be inaccurate? So it sounds like a lot of romantic composers.
Speaker 3:Exactly. Yes, that is correct. That is correct. Yes, a lot of romantic. That is correct.
Speaker 2:Yes, so how about? I always try to wrap up with a question like this but when you need to go to or when you see something, let me frame this differently is there something that you, when you think about it, when you see it, when you experience it, that it reminds you of a time or a place or a thing that happened in your passage? It's just a really peaceful, wonderful, joyful, or just a place that you enjoy going to, or do you have a memory from childhood that it's just when you, you know, I have a.
Speaker 3:So, yeah, I do have a memory from childhood. I'm not sure if I go to it. I was really small. That relates to my love for Christmas, which I do is my favorite holiday of the year. And you know, when I see Santa, I remember when I was a little kid and actually it was my neighbor that dressed up as Santa. And you know, I was a little girl and I believed in Santa and I just remember how is the beautiful costume he came with a sack on his back very authentic. He had a lot of face in his sack and he came and visited us for a little while, just talking, just talking, and then he made me recite the poem which my parents asked me to memorize.
Speaker 2:So oh dear.
Speaker 3:He didn't make it, but they did. I asked well, do you have anything for me? Why do you learn at school? So my parents prepared me for that. I was very, very nervous about you know, reciting the poem to Santa, right? I'm a. Santa Claus, one which recite the poem he's like most important, a person, more important than my teachers right. So like here, I am reciting the poem to Santa. So I did it.
Speaker 3:I think I did a good job because Santa loved it. He gave me his gift and I remember that he walked outside and was raining and I was so upset that Santa's gonna be in the rain now. Then I remember that was a real concern that I had and I was keep hugging him and my parents keep telling me that he would be okay.
Speaker 2:Oh, Boy, my mother was so, so much of a Christmas. I say it now, she was Christmas nut because we, you know she couldn't wait for Christmas time to come so that she could start decorating virtually every room in the house, you know, and she wasn't big on outdoor decorations really, but the inside of the house was, when you came into the house you knew it was Christmas. You know, we had a banister for the stairway. We went upstairs that was all wrapped in garland and lights and you know reindeer going up the wall alongside it. And you know.
Speaker 3:Oh, that's wonderful.
Speaker 2:And then, we had plate rails through the house. It was an older home so there were plate rails all around the dining room and she would set up a little villages all around there with lights in them and trees and you know all kinds of wonderful things, and then a big drum table that I remember she always set that up to be like a pond. You know there was tin foil set down and then she had ice skaters that were on it and then another you know little village around it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so I just remember growing up with that, you know, sort of wonderful, you know whimsical, you know time of the year, and she put so much of herself, I think you know a lot of. It was just when she was younger. She was quite poor and you know it was an opportunity. As she got older and they had a little bit more money, she, I swear most of their discretionary income for years must have gone into Christmas decorations, you know. So it was the tree. You know the tree just got more ostentatious with every year that passed, you know, and it was wonderful. I missed that. I wish she was still around to Christmas-ify things, I guess, if that's a word. But so, samina, gentry, our guest today, samina, tell me a little bit about yourself Now. You don't talk like folks around here, samina, I just want to say So- I'm gonna ask back on that.
Speaker 3:I speak French, so my daughter's fluent in French and I speak sometimes French with her. And but you know it's, yes, I came to Europe, to the United States, a long time ago. I went to school here, but you know, I only have an accent, especially, you know I. Well, my daughter speaks French. But in addition to that, I, you know, I go to some of friends I have here. I have a French restaurant in the door and you know, so it's. You know it's a little European, you know area.
Speaker 2:Well, you went to USC, right USC and Harvard, that was your school.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I went to USC and then, and then I went to Harvard. You know, I really, really I'm all about education. That's something that was within me. I guess my parents, my father was a professor, my mother was my mother's the teacher, I mean, my aunt, my uncle, everyone you know is teaching or taught. So education I just is like who I am and what I know. So I keep, you know, going to school, keep going to school, and I think I'm good for now, maybe going for a PhD at some point, I don't know, right now I think I'm okay, but yeah, I definitely.
Speaker 3:Well, I went to business school as well, which recounts my sense of business. So, yes, I love teaching, which I also taught at graduate school, but I love the business, I love helping people, okay, and I love the. I love people, I love to see how people, how can I transform their lives in a positive way? How can I help them? And in this case, with my store, which I just have, this new business with, you know, having this authentic European store, which for me signifies more than just the store, because I'm really trying to bring Europe to America. I want to make the European product accessible to every American. It doesn't have to be someone that get a four to go to Europe. Anyone should be able to afford European products From you know, if you look at our site and I don't want to suffer more myself but we're really you can go and try from Italy, from Netherlands, from Germany, from Austria and we're one stop shop. We're pretty much taking care of everything. We ship the products, we accept returns, we respond to the customer service. We're very, very proactive.
Speaker 3:In that sense, customers are very important to us and, as I was mentioning at the beginning, we are literally a triangle where we have the European manufacturer, atlantic and the US consumer. We don't go through chains of wholesalers and importers and so on and so on, because we want to be able to answer the customer's question and concerns. We cannot answer the customer question and concerns if there's a chain we don't can cut with the customer. The European vendor must be able to have an understanding and an insight into what the US consumer likes and they cannot have that if they are going to change some importers and wholesalers. So I'm really trying to have a triangle relationship where the European vendor can actually plan production accordingly, based on what the US consumer likes. The US consumer can buy products from Europe without having to travel to Europe, and Atlantic is facilitating this particular relationship, which makes Atlantic obviously happy and successful as well.
Speaker 3:So, yeah, so that's you know from the US. So, my background being European, my schooling is teaching, but I do have a business degree, so that's kind of where I am. You know where I end up being on the business side.
Speaker 2:So how did you go from being basically an economics student, correct? I mean, you talk of being an economist, so how did you go from that to clothing? And you know? I mean, I understand you have a European background. So of course there's some you know, the embellishment of that or the steeping of that in your growing up, right. But then did you have sort of an aha moment where you thought, yeah, you know what I need to put this and that together and I think that could be wonderful.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah, yeah, so well, it really started with my desire to have access to European products, and that started with my daughter, because I've been trying to find products from her, from Europe, and I always had difficult time, and not just clothing, and I'm talking about maybe CDs in French or books in French, like native, like French, not translated or bilingual, but like actual French content and you know, or other languages, and I had a challenging time. So it kind of was a sort of a seed there, kind of like growing slowly. So in 2019, I went to Austria and we stayed in Salzburg and then we went to Vienna, we bought some things here to the United States for us to use, and then it just became, I would say so, obvious when I could see the difference between what I have in my house, which is, you know, everything bought in the United States, and then little things I got from Europe that stand out, and stand out because they are different. It's simple as that. They are different. They are manufactured by minds in a country that's thousands of years old. A lot of culture comes into that. Right, they are different, the quality is different, the colors are different, they are different and it's a different. That is very obvious. And it's a different that I love. You know, I have this in a teacup with strawberry, so beautiful, you can watch that a thousand times, they will never fade.
Speaker 3:And because also, what I found that subsequently from my research is that the European Union mandates that certain chemicals are prohibited. So European businesses are not allowed to use many of the chemicals that you can find in the United States. So, in fact, various articles I came across thousands of chemicals that are in clothing and a pair of fortunes, purses, toys for women. They are present in the United States, they are available on the market, but they're not allowed in Europe. European manufacturers are not allowed to have those particular chemicals in their products according to the European Union regulations. So it's a different, I would say, process of manufacturing in Europe, not in so far as just the style and design, but also the content of the ingredients that are present in each product.
Speaker 3:So subsequently, going through my research, I think it just naturally blossoms into the idea of why is that I needed to go to Austria to bring these sort of things here, and now I can't have them unless I go back to Austria, and so many people are in that position, unless you want to travel a lot, and even if you have the funds to be able to travel a lot, you know maybe you don't have the time but also traveling probably is not that the healthier activity to do it very often. So and then it's really the idea has much realized into I want to find a way to bring Europe to America and not just clothing. Of course now we're carrying children clothing and there's some economical reasons as to why children clothing. There's a strategy behind it.
Speaker 3:But we wanted to expand into not just children, but men, women, home. In fact we're some home and access right now, but eventually we want food. We want food and want literally products from Europe, from all the countries in Europe 44 countries to be able to be on the market in the US, and that is why I have chosen the name of the name, atlantic, that is, I want to really make this relationship really close. That is pretty much ignoring the beautiful big a tiny ocean by the future of getting the products here.
Speaker 2:Well, I'm ready for the men's clothing whenever you've got it available.
Speaker 2:I have to say, I'm looking at your headshots, because Command, your Brand, is wonderful about sending very nice headshots of the artists that we talk with, the guests that I talk with, and both of your pictures, I have to say, are and I mean this completely sincerely but they are stunning.
Speaker 2:Okay, they are stunning because the richness of the color, the richness of the patterns, the, the just the aesthetic of it and I, you know, I know I'm different, I have an arts background. You know when, when you have an MFA in stage design, you learn to, you know, love costuming in a global way, right, but they just right away to me, when you, when I saw the just the outfits that you chose, they were bright, they were vibrant, they were, they were interesting. You know, and I find that's something that I mean, here I am with my black turtleneck and my gray, you know, polar tech item on. It's as if in America, we are terrified of bringing attention to ourselves in a way that European clothing does without even thinking about it. I mean, they're, you know and it's not in our world.
Speaker 2:We would think of it, I think, as gaudy and ostentatious. You know it's not. It's not something that people willfully go after usually, because I think it's like, well, who are you trying to impress? Or, you know, what are you? What are you trying to accomplish with that? I mean, come on, you're trying to stand out in a crowd, huh, and I'm like no, I'm trying to express who I am and this clothing that I'm wearing, this, this style, this pattern, this colorful array of things, is who I am. You know that, and I want to be, you know, in my my better angels, right, that are on my shoulders.
Speaker 3:So, yes, but that's what, that's how. Again, they're the beautiful clothes in the United States, the beautiful product, but they are not European and that doesn't mean that one is bad and one is good. It's just different and and and everyone recognizes that difference and it's just the way it is, and and and you know you buy a sign from France. You know dress, you, you see this different. You see that and and you know you can ask. In fact, I met the other day someone that actually bossed out from Europe and I just asked, by just curiosity, where she got it, because it was different. I knew that's the and she said, yeah, I bought it from France. I went the last time. So it's and it wasn't something like extraordinary, like a product or some sort of a extraordinary expensive item, it's just the style, that and I think you appreciate that the design, the style, the colors, the combination of colors, it's just. It's just, it's just unique and and I want the US consumer to have access to the European market and you know it's beneficial, for pretty much is like win-win for everyone in this picture. That is my. So that is kind of the answer to your question as to how I end up from being a.
Speaker 3:You know, I taught at graduate school. Right, I'm a teacher in my in my blood. I'm a teacher. I love teach, I still tutor, I still help. But you know other other. You know a minimum level but at the same time I'm an economist, I have a business degree and I love people.
Speaker 3:I love business, I love you know, making deals, I love you know and I love where my customers are happy. What makes me happiest is my customers. If I can make them happy and there's a problem that is 10,000 times worse for me than it's for my customer, because that is is really, it's really, you know, impacting me. I will say at the personal level, and I'm. Which is why, which is why we have this business model where we're not accepting drop shipping, we're not accepting third party supplier to the packaging, we're not accepting third party external companies or help or tools that can provide us with a pathway to deliver the product to our customers.
Speaker 3:I'm not accepting that because if I lose control of the process, I cannot make make my customer happy. I am going to lose that tool and I don't want to lose that tool, because the customer is number one and I want to make sure that with the liver and if there's something wrong, I can attend to it right away. I know exactly what happened, I know how to fix it because I control the process. So, and also, of course, is just happened that you know and I'm trying to start casting here but when you control the price, you don't have so many hands in the kitchen, the product is not that expensive as well, because you don't have all of these more cops. So therefore, the consumer also is benefiting from this relationship, because the cost, the price of the product, is not going to be, you know, higher because of more customer parties.
Speaker 2:Sure, so, yeah, so that's that's kind of what I, what I ended up being, and I just, yeah, just said something that in some of the information that I read that I thought was really fascinating, so that you appreciate how European styles offer children age appropriate choices and allows them to savor the sweetness of their childhood without the rush to grow up too soon.
Speaker 2:So I went on your website and saw some of that in the, in the dresses that the little girls were able to wear, and I thought, boy, that's so much my daughter, when she was younger to be able to have those kinds of clothes on it and to be Cinderella, you know, for a moment.
Speaker 3:And you know, I know and really you know that's. That's a challenge actually for many moms these days, because you know you go to Northstrom or I don't want to say a name you know any store in Northstrom is a good store. So please go to Northstrom. If you go anywhere you can't. I'm not judging here, it's just my taste is such that I like European products that I feel that beautiful for kids and they're sweet in my opinion. Sweet maybe sorry for you, sorry for somebody else, but that's what they miss for me and I love the bonus. For example, I just love the bonnets. That's me, just me, and I love the bonnets. I love the pretty clothes.
Speaker 3:I did, I did find some, some business. I came across some instances where you know you're trying to buy something, a gift, or you know for a little girl, and you go to the stores now naming mine but you go to the stores and and you see these dresses with one shoulder off or, or, or, or or or empty back for a five year old. I think that's just not appropriate period. The clothes are for adult woman that they can show off their back if they want to show off their body, but not for a five year old and that's something it doesn't. I, I, I, I, I can have no words to explain that. I mean I could, but I don't want to go into it. I just it doesn't, I feel like.
Speaker 3:And there's so many moms that I've heard with you know, expressing the same they want beautiful. Why, why not a girl, a little girl, kim? Are beautiful dresses pretty? You know we have so many beautiful dresses on our site and our store lays velvet, very, you know, cute and early and child. You know they kiss a lot of them. You know they're going to grow up before you know it, don't, you know, expedite that process, don't expedite that time, because you know children and childhood is such a sweet period it's, and you know life is life, peace will come right, peace will come, peace will go, but let them, and let you, as a parent, see their saver that period of time, enjoy it. And you know every child is a blessing and and and be thankful for that.
Speaker 3:And you know I recognize it and and so that's that's kind of where, that's kind of what I feel, which is why I would say the clothing that we carry, you know, tends to be, you know, classic, tends to be traditional and tends to be. You know, it's certain things that you know I have and how many people may not like it, and I respect that. But you know I love that particular style and you can't find that style in the United States. I can tell you that you cannot find that. That's from Europe and I'm not talking about Europe from 34 years ago. This clothing that I carry is not like this. Sat in someone's warehouse for 40 years and all of a sudden, simina changes from a funny cuffs and buys them all. No, this clothing is made in Europe as we speak. So so that is where you can go and find this beautiful clothing, this beautiful style, but you cannot find that in the United States. No, it doesn't mean it's wrong or bad, it's just the way it is.
Speaker 2:Right, well, and having people to have that comparison and that contrast is really important, right? You know, as you said, some people may like it and love it and think it's the best thing, since, as we used to say, sliced bread, but you know, it's different strokes for different folks, right? So can? We're running going to run out of time, oh my gosh, there's so much to talk about. But you believe that it's also really important to focus on organic and sustainable products, right, that's been one of the tenants of what you've been doing as a business person and as a creator. You know, opportunist, I guess. Yes, what? How does that work in your, in your realm, in your business?
Speaker 3:Well, it is very important because we try to avoid all those chemicals that can make you sick, those in the clothes, right, and so it's very important to recognize that that happens. And I read so many articles you know I don't know if you know the story of Alaska Airlines that a while ago manufactured some uniforms and then all of a sudden they started getting blisters, rashes, swollen eyes, you know, and so on. I mean breathing problems and some people actually died and as a result of the chemicals that were found to be present in those in those clothing, there was a study. If I may, I would like to offer your audience a reading that is on our site. If they can go to atlanticchildrencom, dash blog, dash stories, they can read an article about the skin being the largest organ of your body, and in that particular article there is a link from a CBS News document that has provided a statistical measurements of chemical high level chemicals found in clothes by some fast manufacture, by some fast fashion retailers, and there's a professor from the University of Toronto that actually provides data in that article the extraordinary levels of lead and all the bad stuff that and the chemicals you cannot pronounce you know like. Let me tell anyway, hexavalent, total, nguyen, and then like chemicals you can have around that are extremely harmful to your body or present in apparel for children in person In fact, the professor that actually holds a little beautiful red verse for a little kid that is extremely dangerous because it contains all these chemicals, because your skin is the largest organ. That is why it's dangerous. Everything that you put on your skin enters in your body, so so. So, therefore, organic is is is really important.
Speaker 3:Now, is it easy to get organic items? Is not. Is it is in the United States? No, not so much. Is it easier from Europe? Yes, and why? Because the European Union has certain regulations that the producers, manufacturers in Europe must abide by, and there are over 1000 chemicals and toxins that are allowed in the United States, but they are not allowed in but a manufacturing process in Europe. So that is where we get our beautiful.
Speaker 3:Our designer, annie and Charles, is from Austria and you can go to our site. You can see a beautiful cloudy outfit for a baby and you can see the beautiful organic, 100% cotton product. You know what's interesting that? You know I'd be obviously believing in United States for a long time, but you know what I started getting these items from Europe, I start smelling them and you know what?
Speaker 3:I forgot how cotton smells. In fact, I don't even know how cotton actually smells and because you know, you buy a sample in the United States and you smell it and it's just smell chemicals and you have to wash it and it kind of still kind of like oh it kind of smells are weird. You can smell our clothes, you smell cotton, you smell purity. It's unbelievable. I mean, I could just smell that all day long because it's just I know I think it's even healthy. I don't know, I'm not taking my word, but it's just pure cotton and anyway. So it is really really, really important that you are aware of the fact that your skin really absorbs everything. So I invite your audience to go to the Read that article. And also, you know you are such a wonderful host and I appreciate the freedom of expression on your host.
Speaker 2:It's still America, right? I checked. Freedom of speech is an important thing here, from what I understand.
Speaker 3:Freedom of speech is an important thing. As you know, our forefathers fought, you know, and they were extremely smart for actually contemplating situations similar to what we are, you know, sometimes encountering and how. You know, and you know I am not on left and right, but you know I always say to people this country was formed in strong ground. It has a strong root. It's a tree with strong roots. Those roots will never uproot the tree. Sometimes will go too much to the left, sometimes too much to the right, but the tree will be there and I strongly believe that. And if you read in our history and our forefathers and you can see how solid how our constitution was created, how they were able to foresee the weakness of human nature and how humans can use and exploit the human weakness for their own personal benefit, and they were able to see through that and you know. That's so going back to thank you for allowing me to have the freedom of speech on your show.
Speaker 3:I would like to offer your audience also a 20% discount for any item, items they would like to purchase, and that would be the. They can enter podcast 20 at the checkout podcast 20 or they can enter the link at ranteetrunnercom slash discount slash podcast 20. And that just gesture appreciation, but I really, really appreciate your time and allow me to to be on your show. I had a call by Goethe about I wanted to share with you. I forgot to share it with you.
Speaker 2:Okay, and I, as you look for that, I'm going to tell people Atlantic Children, calm, please go there. It's just such a wonderfully whimsical thing to see these little girls in their you know, beautiful, beautiful dresses.
Speaker 2:Just I think you have one picture with little girls just swimming in just twirling and to see the joy on her face of knowing that she looks like a little princess and it's just enjoying that so much. And then the candles and the boxes, and you know, everything just has a very European flair, obviously to it. But it's also very unique in a special and not an ostentatious way, you know, I think some, some sometimes with European things we tend to think of ochre tour, you know, and it's, it's a, you know, toy tee, toy tee kind of thing, and it's not that at all. It's very, just, very approachable and very things that you would just like to have on a table. Or did you get that, you know, kind of thing.
Speaker 3:So we have a. We have a kids Euro kids club on Thursday night and in the way the four to five 30 we actually read and teach the kids Italian and French for free. Okay we have a little space with a little beautiful little bookcase with a little chair, little lamp and a beautiful fluffy rod and the kids could just listen to Italian, French and play games.
Speaker 2:So wonderful, so did you find your quote.
Speaker 3:I have the code. Okay, so it's by. Go then. Whatever you can do or dream you can begin at, bonus has genius, power and magic in it. Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always in effectiveness. Whatever you can draw, dream you can begin at, that's really the word. Many people have so many dreams. They wanted to do so much, but they're reluctant to start. But there's something when you start, things start to come together that you're not aware of before you start, you will not be told, you will not know, you will not be for one. Yes, you can start and I'll help. You know. You just start and then things will come together. I love the code. Yes.
Speaker 2:What's the old analogy of? The ship has a very small thing called a rudder that will move it all kinds of places, but you have to move forward in order for it to be able to move that ship. So just move forward, you know. Go, go forward, Absolutely so absolutely. Samina, thank you so much for being my guest. I we please. Can we please get together again at some point and talk some more?
Speaker 3:I would love that so much. Okay, I show so much. You are wonderful and in really allowing your gas to express themselves and offering that space that is conducive of you know, a free expression, and, and and just, I think you love people, obviously must love people, because I can see it very clearly, it means sarcastic, but but really it's a wonderful show that you're offering for the good of humanity, for people that are listening to this show, and and and and it's very refreshing, I would say.
Speaker 2:Well, we will. After the Christmas season, we can compare notes about what sorts of wonderful things All right In 2024, and we will find out what is happening in the world of fashion for children and the like in 2024. Shall we.
Speaker 3:Absolutely. I cannot wait. I cannot wait to show again. We're going to be doing a lot of things, but you know, in fact, we open a new physical store, we have a grand opening next week. A lot of these happening, so please stay with us, follow us on Instagram and everywhere, and you and I must get together again. Your show is fantastic, thank you.
Speaker 2:It says such a such a beautiful thing that you can Well and I can tell we have at least 14 shows for the content to talk about. So we could do the entire semina gentry, you know, addition, or it could be wonderful.
Speaker 3:So we could have fun. And if you ever, if you ever, you know, I don't know towards California, you know, just let me know. And you know, by the way, any one of the reasons of this. If you are listening to this and you just happen to be in California and around Orange County, come to the store. By the way, we have chocolate and fish champagne. So that's on the house, on the house.
Speaker 2:I can see people now just running, scurrying to get to your store.
Speaker 3:So where's the champagne? So I got to be treated like a hero. So come over Absolutely.
Speaker 2:Well, samina, happy Thanksgiving, merry Christmas, happy New Year. Thank you so much. We will talk again.
Speaker 3:Thank you.
Speaker 2:Thank you, thank you, folks, for listening to us. On frame of reference, my guest today has been Samina Gentry and if you haven't figured it out by now, she's just a wonderful person. And thank you, thank you, thank you. So you all, take care. I will hope to you'll tune in again next week to hear what wonderful conversation I might be able to have with some wonderful person. Again, it's a good thing, take care.