Woman brings passion for fashion to downtown Scranton

SCRANTON — Jessica Illescas Merritt plans to bring big city designs to the downtown shopping district.

Merritt, who has operated an online shop — JessingWithStyle — since July 2023, opened Tachi Hill House of Fashion Nov. 15 in the Connell Building, 127 N. Washington Ave.

The storefront previously housed New Laundry — another women’s clothing boutique — which closed in late October after 10 years in business.

Merritt, 35, of Clarks Summit, moved to Northeast Pennsylvania from New York seven years ago and looks forward to outfitting women.

“I think Scranton has always been ready for this,” she said. “I want to bring all the fashion to Scranton … we need it. You don’t need to go to New York or Philadelphia — I want to bring all of that here for our stylish customers.”

Scranton Tomorrow held a ribbon-cutting event for Tachi Hill House of Fashion, a new women’s clothing boutique on North Washington Avenue, on Nov. 15. From left, Kelley Laird of Fidelity Bank, Scranton Mayor Paige Gebhardt Cognetti, Tachi Hill Owner Jessica Illescas Merritt, Katalia Merritt, Mark Merritt, Izabella Merritt, Sebastian Merritt, Lucian Merritt, and Liz Baldi, business development director for Scranton Tomorrow. (Photo courtesy Scranton Tomorrow)

Jessica Illescas Merritt, owner of Tachi Hill House of Fashion, stands inside her new store on North Washington Avenue in downtown Scranton Sunday afternoon. (ROBERT TOMKAVAGE/STAFF PHOTO)

Show Caption

1 of 2

Scranton Tomorrow held a ribbon-cutting event for Tachi Hill House of Fashion, a new women’s clothing boutique on North Washington Avenue, on Nov. 15. From left, Kelley Laird of Fidelity Bank, Scranton Mayor Paige Gebhardt Cognetti, Tachi Hill Owner Jessica Illescas Merritt, Katalia Merritt, Mark Merritt, Izabella Merritt, Sebastian Merritt, Lucian Merritt, and Liz Baldi, business development director for Scranton Tomorrow. (Photo courtesy Scranton Tomorrow)

Expand

Merritt is open to suggestions from customers to meet their needs.

“I’m here for them,” she said. “I want to make this a homey place, and I want people to feel comfortable and bring their kids.”

Merritt plans to continue operating JessingWithStyle — which has attracted customers from several states including Texas, Florida and South Carolina — in addition to the brick-and-mortar location. She’s also working on establishing a website for online sales for Tachi Hill clients.

After previously working in retail for a high-end clothing store in White Plains, New York, Merritt felt the opportunity was too good to pass up when the space became available in Scranton.

“I wasn’t looking to open up a shop right now because my youngest (children) are only 2 and 4, but things happen for a reason,” she said. “I’m all about taking risks. I feel like you have to make sacrifices and if you work for it, it pays off.”

Merritt also hopes to follow in the footsteps of New Laundry owner Theresa Stuckart while adding her own flair to the spot.

“I need to do my best,” she said. “I feel like anyone can love fashion, but style is what it’s all about. I hope people love what I bring.”

Other downtown shops like Over the Moon, Runway Boutique, Penn House Boutique and the Daisy Collective have offered their support through referring customers and sending flowers, Merritt said.

“Everybody is so nice and has been so welcoming,” she said.

Merritt also aims to work collaboratively with the other boutique owners and reciprocate their kindness.

“I’m hoping we can support each other,” she said. “It’s not a competition. We’re a community and that’s the way it should be.”

Liz Baldi, business development director for Scranton Tomorrow, a nonprofit community and economic development organization, noted Stuckart helped make the transition seamless for Merritt.

“Theresa put so much love and passion into her store for 10 years and was thrilled Jessica wanted to carry on the legacy of that location with a really great inventory of women’s clothing,” Baldi said. “Theresa was there to guide Jessica through her opening — it was a nice collaboration.”

Baldi also believes the quick turnaround with the property speaks to the demand for businesses in downtown Scranton.

“People are actively seeking these locations,” she said. “There is a lot of foot traffic, daily, and there is a lot of collaboration amongst the businesses. They’re excited to see new businesses opening up because the more attractions we have downtown, it better serves the entire business community as a whole.”

Originally Published: November 27, 2024 at 11:38 AM EST