Alison Barnard has always had a sixth sense for fashion. At the ripe age of 5, Barnard told her mother that a group of kids in mismatched clothes had to be on mind-altering substances.
"I think I've always had it [the fashion gene] in me," says Barnard.
Given the 1996 Masco graduate's immediate success opening Injeanius in Boston's North End, it certainly seems like she's got something special. Since Injeanius debuted in July 2005, a Boston area daily newspaper and Lucky Magazine rated it one of the best new stores in Boston, and the Improper Bostonian tagged Injeanius the "Best Hidden Gem."
Barnard says her biggest secret to success is customer service. She doesn't have the only jeans and T-Shirt store in Boston, but is unique in the personal attention she gives to customers. When shoppers are looking for jeans, Barnard questions what they want in fit, color and style; "it's like diagnosing a patient," she says.
