Ann Martinelli is the founder of Primitive Boutique, a women-owned boutique that allows customers to create fully customizable apparel. Buying merchandise from her isn’t just a transaction, though; it is a collaborative process where you get to take charge and be your own designer.

The boutique is widely known for customizable Philadelphia sports gear, including hats, shirts, sweaters, and koozies.

“I like to go to tailgates, and I like to look my best, and I like to look good, and so what I enjoy doing is helping other people do the same and do it on a budget,” Martinelli said.

Something really unique about her boutique is that Martinelli lets people bring in their own apparel to customize, so they can spend more on the creation process. She emphasized that this is not an off-the-rack store and that she aims to create an experience where people can come in and make something that feels authentic to them.

Martinelli was a professor at Penn State Abington and has her doctorate in teacher education. During her time teaching at Penn State, she served as the program chair of its education program. She has also been supporting teacher candidates in a community setting, providing them with authentic experiences across diverse learning situations in Philadelphia.

After a little while, though, Martinelli had issues with a colleague, who pushed her out of the position. She noted that the university didn’t stand behind her during these issues, and so she decided to leave. This ended up being a blessing in disguise for her.

“When I [left], I started something that I didn’t know what it was going to turn into in years later, I turned it into a thriving business where I have three locations,” she said.

Martinelli runs all three stores, two of which are in Pennsylvania, Ambler and southern Philadelphia, and one in Sea Isle City, New Jersey.

“Everything that is in my store goes through me, all the ordering, all of the merchandising, all of the management, the staffing has my handprint on it,” Martinelli said.

Primitive Boutique also participates in farmers markets in Conshohocken and Horsham, Pennsylvania. Additionally, Martinelli can be found in various pop-ups in Pennsylvania and New Jersey communities. You can find an online catalog of some of their pre-made items on their website for purchase.

“Trust your instinct and to really grow as the business grows because you can’t grow too fast and you can’t grow too slow because then you’re not listening to the needs of the business,” Martinelli said. “Then my other advice would be that you need to lean into fear and use the lessons of the failures and the fears in order to give you the inner strength in order to move forward.”

She also noted that one of her biggest motivators when starting this business was her daughters. With the creation and operation of Primitive Boutique, she wanted to show them that you have to stay resilient and motivated, even in times of uncertainty.

To learn more about Primitive Boutique, you can visit their website.