Now Open: Anavaa Kisasa Bags a Storefront in Williamsburg

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The last time we were in the narrow little space at 555 Metropolitan between Union and Lorimer, it was a boutique selling oddly-conceived, semi-retro designs by locals—all very Kenley Collins, come to think of it—that seemed well-intentioned but doomed, given how hard it is to get shoppers to venture east of the BQE. The new tenant, a handbag company named Anavaa Kisasa, looks more likely to thrive. Anavaa Kisasa ("she dresses in fashion" in Swahili) has been operating as an online business for four years, selling carefully crafted and very feminine purses, hobos and wallets. Last year, Gen Art Pulse described the style as "something Elle Woods would have rocked in Legally Blonde—fun, girly and slightly over-the-top." In addition to bags, the new store sells jewelry, t-shirts for both genders, and a collection of women's clothing.