STRANGE WAYS CREATES A WEIRD & WONDERFUL WORLD IN NEW HAVEN
CAFETERIA CHATS WITH OWNER ALEX DAKOULAS TO DISCUSS THE INSPIRATION BEHIND STRANGE WAYS & THE IMPORTANCE OF SMALL BUSINESSES HAVE ON THEIR COMMUNITY
Strange Ways lives up to its name, curating a warm and playful vibe while offering unique items that can only be found in its New Haven shop. “If you can find something at another store, why would we carry it? Everything at Strange Ways makes a statement,” founder Alex Dakoulas shares.
With a background in graphic design, Alex uses his discerning eye to create a colorful space filled with pins, patches and graphic tees alongside homegoods crafted by local makers. While Alex isn’t technically a New Haven native, he’s lived and worked in the city for 12 years, fostering a sense of obligation and duty to the community. “Strange Ways isn’t like one of those big box stores that tells customers what to buy. Small businesses should speak to the community around them. I take pride in being a business owner that lives in the city where I work. We listen to what our community wants and provide a space for them to hang out, enjoy the good vibes and hopefully buy something. Being in New Haven means we have to care about New Haven and that extends beyond just selling stuff,” Dakoulas continues.
Scroll below to read the full interview and learn more about Strange Ways.
CAFETERIA: What inspired you to start Strange Ways?
Alex Dakoulas: I have a graphic design background, I’ve always been interested in lifestyle goods — stuff you wear on your body to express yourself and items you put into your home that also connects with your inner self. When I graduated from Mass Art, I worked at Converse and Puma designing shoes. I also created a clothing line on the side, so I was really getting into apparel as a reflection of the self. I’ve always been interested in making and creating items you can put on your body and into your home.
When I had the clothing line, I noticed getting into a store as a brand was extremely difficult. I always told myself I’d have a store one day, but it wasn’t until I moved to New Haven that I saw the chance to make that dream a reality. New Haven is a really cool city with a lot of opportunities. I’ve been here for 12 years, but was living in Boston prior. New Haven reminds me of Providence where it’s a small town with a lot of culture and it’s close to bigger cities, but New Haven is small enough that you can truly make an impact. When I was thinking of where to open my store, I felt like there was an audience in New Haven, but no one was necessarily doing what I was doing. I saw the opportunity to create the store that I wanted. Strange Ways started out as bringing together all of these cool people making cool products, but it grew from there.
How would you describe the store’s aesthetic and ethos, especially for someone who hasn’t visited in person yet?
AD: We’re called Strange Ways because I wanted our store to stand out. If you can find something at another shop, why would we carry it? Everything at Strange Ways makes a statement. We started as a fashion accessory store, so we specialize in pins and patches, as well as key chains and graphic tees. Over time, it’s ultimately transformed into home goods and everything lifestyle related. We carry independent artists and smaller brands. You can find something for every personality at Strange Ways.
Can you speak to the importance of having a brick and mortar store in a digital first age?
AD: Strange Ways actually started out online. With my graphic design background, it was easy for me to create a website and figure out how to ship products, but we always wanted to have an in-person shopping experience. I would do pop-ups around New Haven street markets or other people’s stores, trying to see if a physical storefront would work for Strange Ways. I always wanted to have a physical space, partly for practical reasons, like being able to use it as a storage and shipping space. There’s also tremendous value in being able to touch and see the product.
I don’t want Strange Ways to only live online. I’ve always planned for it to be a part of the community. As a lover of retail, having local businesses that reflect your community are important for creating a city that people want to live in. Having a space that people can go to contributes to the vibe and character of a community.
Do you think small businesses can provide safe third spaces while thriving financially? How do you prioritize people and profit?
AD: It can be really hard balancing providing a third space while making a profit. When we first moved to our current location, we chose this space because it combined two sections – one section for retail and one section for events. We really wanted to showcase that we are part of the community and provide space for other artists to sell their work. We decided to expand more of the retail space into the events corner partly because of financial reasons. That being said, we still plan to do events because we don’t want to lose the community aspect. It is important to be strategic about how you balance community and commerce. Hosting events and reaching out to the community is very important and how that fits into a money-making model is evolving. Carrying local vendors long-term is also another way we’re prioritizing people alongside profit. Rather than just inviting small artisans a few times a year, it’s more impactful to create a long-term relationship and allow visitors to experience small brands year round. Instead of having a designated space solely for events, our store acts as a third space itself where people can come in, hang out and hopefully buy something.
What value do you think small businesses like Strange Ways bring to communities? Why are small businesses important?
AD: Small businesses speak to the community around them. I take pride in being a business owner that lives in the city where I work. There are items that I specifically carry because I live in New Haven. I have to be involved with the community to support the local makers and cater to people that are coming in. If I only carried the items I like, it would be a very boring store. Stores like Target or Nordstrom aren’t listening to the community. If anything, they’re trying to tell the community what to buy. I think small businesses reflect the community that they’re in, but we also just care more. Being in New Haven means we have to care about New Haven and that extends beyond selling stuff.
