Given boutique on East North Street curates a style of compassion and care
When you walk into Given boutique, feminine and fall dresses line its walls. Its racks hold minimalist styles and bohemian looks, crochet vests and flowing blouses, in subtle and understated hues to match the season’s trends.
Like the clothes filling the store, the boutique is modest. It does not scream its mission; it does not tout its goods. But its cause-conscious practices—and the heart poured into them—are thoughtfully woven into the fabric of Given.
“We started it because we wanted to be able to give back,” explains Erin Fuduric, who opened the store with her sisters in 2017. While the sisters initially felt called to support survivors of sex trafficking, their work doesn’t end there. “We wanted to help with all things exploitation [and] alleviate poverty.” She continues emphatically, “We wanted to do something to help.”
Shop with a Cause
The boutique fulfills its mission in many ways, but it all begins with the source. Goods from Kut from the Kloth, Able Nashville, and Thistle Farms, among others, stock the store. These companies share common threads: they’re women-owned and sustainable. They pay fair wages and empower people who have been exploited. Every item is more than a product—“It’s someone’s livelihood,” Fuduric says.
Artisanal items throughout the store—handmade jewelry, ceramics, and other gifts—also contribute to the store’s mission to help others. Each artisan donates a portion of their sales to a nonprofit, including animal rescues, Jasmine Road, and the Meyer Center. “Everything you leave with is giving to something else,” explains Fuduric.
The boutique extends its community reach in other ways: they’ve partnered with organizations like Switch and Jasmine Road. They’ve also used their social media platform to raise funds for women in the community who needed help to pay rent. “We want to try to love on Overbrook,” says Erin. To love on the community, they’ve hosted a winter coat drive, putting a rack of coats on the walkway for people to leave and take.
Its intentional model allows the boutique to continue giving. By researching and sourcing trending products, Fuduric explains, people gravitate toward the store and purchase quality goods they love. In turn, the sisters continue to support artisans, intentional manufacturers, and the Upstate community. “It’s like a circle,” says Erin. A circle curved and pointed into a big heart.
The boutique’s cause-conscious practices are multilayered. Here’s a rundown of how they give back:
- Sources from manufacturers attentive to social and environmental impact
- Partners with local nonprofits to support those in need
- Donates percentage of sales to artisans’ nonprofit of choice
- Hosts fundraisers and coat drives to support the local community
Given, 1631 E North St. given-goods.com
Photography by Jen Jefferson
