Elmhurst entrepreneurs Leslie Schlesinger (left) and Sarah Link (right) share their passion for fashion through their Savvy Sister’s consignment company. They will be holding one of their bi-annual sales at the Knights of Columbus, beginning May 18.
By Marisa Mancini
For the Elmhurst Independent
They may look like sisters — and sometimes act like sisters — but Sarah Link and Leslie Schlesinger, owners of Savvy Sister, a clothing consignment company, are not related. The pair first met when Leslie moved to Elmhurst two years ago.
“Between the two of us, we have six children under the age of ten, and our first graders go to school together here in Elmhurst,” said Sarah. “We met one day while walking our kids to school and have become the best of friends.”
Getting acquainted, a new idea…
Leslie developed the Savvy Sister concept based on a consignment store she found in North Carolina, where she lived prior to moving here.
“Leslie presented the idea to me about five months after we met and I immediately fell in love with it,” said Sarah. “We felt our biggest obstacle was that we had no background in business, web design or running a company. We now do all our own web design, marketing and media. We are extremely proud of all the accomplishments we have reached thus far and look forward to [expanding] our company.”
Savvy Sister is a pop-up consignment business that holds biannual sales – one in the spring and one in the fall. This spring sale, which runs from May 18 to May 21 at the Knights of Columbus in Elmhurst, will be Savvy Sister’s third event.
Sales bring smiles to consignors, patrons
“We love the smiles on women’s faces while they’re shopping the sale,” said Sarah. “This is more than just a sale. It’s a four-day event that is packed full of fashion, high quality shoes, handbags, and accessories for women of all sizes and ages. We have a wide variety of brands …We definitely have something for everyone.”
Leslie and Sarah consign their own purchases, but receive many of their items from consignors.
“This upcoming spring sale, we are sold out at 100 consignors,” Sarah said. “Women from Elmhurst and all surrounding suburbs have registered to consign with us. We provide everything a woman needs to clean out her closet and make some money while doing so.”
Savvy Sister uses a computerized system for women to enter their items. The website at SavvySisterSale.com provides drop down menus offering two different options for consignors, Express Tagging and Standard Tagging.
“Leslie and I pick up Express Taggers clothing from their homes and enter all the information into the system,” she said. “Standard Taggers enter their items themselves and set an appointment one to two days before the sale to drop off their items. Consignors can earn up to 75% on their sales.”
Savvy Sister’s consignors have the option of donating items to a local charity at the end of the event. In the past, Savvy Sister has donated up to 1,500 items to local churches that give away clothing to women in need.
Each “Sister” brings her own strengths
Leslie and Sarah’s diverse backgrounds contribute to the success of their business. Leslie has a background in architecture and brings her creative and entrepreneurial talents to the business. She also has a strong passion for supporting the community and giving back locally. Sarah is a former National Board Certified Chicago Public School teacher and mom of three boys who brings balance, energy and punctuality to the company.
Hosting the Savvy Sister Sale is what Leslie and Sarah love to do the most. It combines some of their favorite things — shopping, friends, and good deals. Another thing they love is being able to run the company while still being home with their children.
“Savvy Sister allows us to be at every sporting event, school recital, playdate, etc.,” said Sarah. “We also love … that we can make donations to our community to help women in need.”
Details of sale:
The Savvy Sister Sale takes place at the Knights of Columbus Hall, 537 S. York St., as follows: Thursday, May 18 from 7-10 p.m. (VIP night requiring a ticket for entry); Friday, May 19, 10 a.m.-9 p.m.; Saturday, May 20, 10 a.m.-7 p.m.; and Sunday, May 21, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Most items will be reduced on Sunday. Tickets for Thursday’s VIP night can be purchased at SavvySisterSale.com All other days are free and open to the public.
You can follow Savvy Sister on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, and email them at [email protected].
