The Owner~ Bahia
So here’s my story. After living and traveling all over the world-Paris, Dakar, Mauritius, Vienna, New York, Lisbon-… as a child with my West African parents, I decided to settle down in the Washington, DC area in 2001 and change careers. I was finally going to leave social welfare policy and get into the fun business world. 3 days before September 11th, 2001, I moved from Connecticut to Washington, DC. Naturally life changed and I went right back to work in social welfare area. Fast forward 1 year; I tried to make a break again but found myself working this time in one of the premier foundations in the country, the Annie E. Casey Foundation. At the Annie E. Casey Foundation I launched my life as a consultant and went worked on many projects and different institutions including the Woodrow Wilson Center, Associated Black Charities, and several others. However, during this time I kept wishing that I might find my passion and find something that I would completely enjoy with my whole heart.
After major back surgery in 2008 and completion of a fellowship in Philanthropy in NYC, I was left again with the question what do I do next…the long and short of it was that God had another plan for my life. Six months after my surgery I met my husband. In a whirlwind we got married, had a baby, and ta dah I’m opening a consignment store. I’m “out” of social welfare and philanthropy officially, so I achieved that goal. I’m really not completely out though because I still have a heart and an interest in people and improving communities which I take with everything I do…but now I have the business to support and channel those energies to that. So here I am…in downtown Silver Spring right outside DC putting my love of fashion and lifestyle to use.
On The Purple Couch, is not just a consignment store, it’s a store with a purpose and a mission~ to reuse, renew and conserve. It’s a mix of my life and my experiences of living in some of the most beautiful places in the world and experiencing all of the sites, sounds and color combined with a passion for living and doing good in the world. Oh, and the last 2 things about me and most important are my two Eddie’s and my family..so that’s me Bahia. Welcome to On The Purple Couch, A Consignment Experience.
The Store
Located in the middle of the downtown Silver Spring, MD area we are a few minutes from our nations capital and an easily accessible point for all surrounding areas. Our mission is to provide upscale consigned designer clothes for women, children and men. We also carry some great retail products like Annie Sloan Chalk Paint and Made By Mieka Olive Oil Soap.
Our desire is to provide an alternative to retail stores where consumers wishing to buy quality items would find their prices out of reach. On The Purple Couch seeks to provide good quality consigned clothing at reasonable cost for you. Our values are to community, to make a profit (had to say that), and to add to the improvement of the enhancement of peoples self image and the community. Additionally we wish to create a space that is transcending the everyday shopping experience. On The Purple Couch will help people to dream and to live a new life. Finally to renew, reuse and conserve and to give back to the community and to the environment. As part of giving back we work closely with our national philanthropy partner Tigerlily Foundation which supports and provides services and programs to women under forty with cancer. We are also looking to support a local charity right here in the Silver Spring, MD area. Pennyworth Thrift store, right down the street from us is also a close-in partner of ours.
