Minding Your Business - Fisherman's Daughter

The plaque on the historic building that’s home to Fisherman’s Daughter reads: “Marcus Howard -Tailor 1848.”   “He was the local tailor, I love that,” said Taylor Brown, owner and designer of the boutique.  Brown is used to embracing her history, and her roots in the village of Chatham. The fashion design graduate created her brand as a fisherman’s daughter.  “My father, Nick Brown,  was a commercial fisherman for over 25 years here in Chatham.” Brown’s business was born out of necessity; she created bands to keep the hair out of her face as she shellfished.  Out of that, she began silk screen printing her ocean-inspired drawings onto tee shirts.  Her business was born! 

Twenty-five years later, Fisherman’s Daughter is one of the many local shops on Chatham’s bustling Main Street.  “We moved to this location about seven years ago, “ she said.  The Shoe Salon occupied the space for years.  “It’s one of the oldest buildings on the street.” 

Brown and her business partner Andrew Sloane recognize the advantage of their location but you still need an innovative product to capitalize on that.  And Brown’s designs are spectacular.  They offer unique designs for women, men, children, and babies.  Designs incorporate mermaids, octopuses, lobster claws, whales, the Cape shape, ships, fishing vessels, fish and so many more nautical-themed images.  

“When I first started designing and making clothes, we did pop-ups in Boston, and those customers find me over 20 years later!” she said. “And they come up and tell me that.  I try to be in the store most of the time.  I enjoy talking to my customers.  We love that our customer base is both locals and visitors alike. We want all our customers to have a pleasant shopping experience; we enjoy telling our story.  We try to engage with every customer.” 

They do all their silk screening and are consistently coming up with new designs. Her website says: “All styles align with current trends while making the best use of organic and eco-friendly materials, which has been her mission since day one.”

Brown also enjoys helping other designers too.  She carries over 75 other designers’ or artists' wares in her shop.  And she doesn’t stop there; she’s also passing on the knowledge she has gained as a working designer/artist.  “I had great mentors, and I’ve learned so much about retail over the years,” she says with a laugh.  That know-how is an education too.  “We hire  J-1s every year and rent an apartment for them too. We have an intern also.” 

Brown said she and Sloane like to come up with sales incentives with their staff.  “I’ll say if you sell three pairs of sunglasses this week, I’ll gift you a pair!” she smiles. “We really love all the kids working for us.” Everyone loves shopping here too.  Stop in today and then again on Dec. 13 and 14 for the Christmas Stroll and their Open House.