Sara Selepouchin

Sara Selepouchin (Arch ’03) has opened a gift boutique, Occasionette, in Philadelphia. She is an artist and entrepreneur who crafts thousands of unique annotated images for her Girls Can Tell line of housewares and gifts. Her work can be found in more than 150 retail locations across the United States, Canada, Mexico and Australia, including Anthropologie and Paper Source stores. Prior to focusing full-time on Girls Can Tell and Occasionette, Ms. Selepouchin was a community manager for online handmade goods selling venue Etsy.com. She still creates all of her drawings on a drafting board, with pen and paper.

Girls Can Tell Entrepreneur Sara Selepouchin (Architecture, 2003) Opens Occasionette

Philadelphia, March 19, 2013 – Robots with grabby claws, pigs with curly tails and anatomically accurate broken hearts – these are just a few of the hundreds of original diagram illustrations produced by artist Sara Selepouchin. Since 2005, she has crafted thousands of unique annotated images for her Girls Can Tell line of house wares and useful gifts.

Now Selepouchin, whose work has been sold in Anthropologie and Paper Source stores, has opened a new gift boutique of her own called Occasionette. Located at 1825 East Passyunk Avenue, it offers a place in South Philadelphia to shop for house wares and gifts, including tea towels, coasters, jewelry, cards, art prints, note cards, party decorations, barware, handmade toys, candles and more.

“This is a great move for the business,” said Selepouchin. “I have three times the space of my old workshop, in one of the city’s fastest growing districts. Occasionette will be open for shopping in the front while Girls Can Tell will operate and ship from the back.”

Occasionette will celebrate with an open house and grand opening party during VisitEastPassyunk’s Second Saturday on April 13 from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Selepouchin’s works are heavily influenced by her training in architecture and mechanical drawing. While employed at an architectural firm, she began to create original diagram designs as gifts for friends and family, who encouraged her to start selling her work. After a stint as a community manager for online handmade selling venue Etsy.com, she made the leap from employee to entrepreneur, working full time on the Girls Can Tell line.

Today, her work can be found in over 150 retail locations across the United States, as well as in Canada, Mexico and Australia. They are also available on modcloth.com, amazon.com, anthropologie.com, select Hallmark stores, select Paper Source stores and uncommongoods.com.

Even with all of this success, Selepouchin still produces her illustrations lovingly by hand, making her drawings the old fashioned way – on a drafting board, with pen and paper.

“I am very excited to have a dedicated shop to sell my work, and to introduce the neighborhood to other great gift lines that I have discovered in her years of attending trade shows and working in the retail industry.”

Occasionette will carry the entire line of Girls Can Tell decorative and practical house wares, prints, towels and gifts for shoppers, along with great products for homes, dining, entertaining, birthdays, weddings and other special events, as well as interiors, housewarming parties and more. All items featuring the original diagram illustrations of architect turned entrepreneur Sara Selepouchin are eco-friendly and responsibly sourced. For more information, please visit www.occasionette.com. To find a complete list of retailers and that carry the Girls Can Tell line, please visit www.girlscantell.com.

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