Mona Kowalska is not one of those fashion designers who sit in studios drawing pretty things to be sent out to distant places to be born. Not only does she make all of her patterns, but her small and efficient team of three takes care of all other aspects of the brand, including sales and press. Her atelier is located behind the Nolita store’s glitter-clad back wall, so that she may personally greet any customer who walks through the door. One even has to ring a bell to enter, a sign that one is not simply entering a store but rather a special place. Kowalska’s space, however, is unlike any other in that it is first and foremost personal. A common scene to be found in the store consists of a joyful customer walking in to pick up a custom-wrapped garment and a hug from the designer before strutting back out into the streets of Manhattan.