“I was looking for a place where we can have a better working location for our workers and clients. I wanted something with lots of windows,” said Bahar Omrani, who, along with husband Reza, opened her Oakwood store in 2016.
The new location at 4 W. Franklin St. in Centerville’s historic Uptown district will allow for a larger showroom, more dressing rooms for clients and a larger workspace complete with windows for her team of seamstresses.
Moving for business is nothing new for Omrani.
She came to the United States from Iran in 2008.
While waiting for work visas and other paperwork to go through, she volunteered at area schools — including Centerville High School and Sinclair Community College — teaching sewing and design.
She opened her first sewing shop above a now-defunct bridal store in Kettering with a used sewing machine.
“The cheapest sewing machine I could purchase was $300. I even had my dog with me at the shop,” Omrani said.
Omrani moved and expanded operations to Oakwood in 2016, making custom-designed dresses, scarves and shoes, including two inaugural ball gowns she designed for Ohio first lady Fran DeWine.
In 2024, she acquired the bridal inventory and business from someone who was retiring.
Business has thrived, Omrani said. The bulk of her business comes from alterations for wedding and formal gowns, but she has a strong client base that comes from New York City, Chicago and other high-fashion areas for their couture dresses.
“Because the prices are good in Dayton,” Omrani said.
Omrani said it took her more than a year to find the right location for her and her staff.
She didn’t initially plan to move from Oakwood, but she couldn’t find the right fit from the available business inventory.
She’s most excited for her staff. In the last month, she’s doubled her employees to four full-time and three part-time seamstresses and salespersons in anticipation of the move.
The seamstresses work in a windowless basement in their current location. After the move, they will have a multiple windows and a lot more room for fabric, equipment and display pieces.
“It will be so nice,” said seamstress Ashley Barbecho.
Ormani said she hopes to have the new location open by the end of March, just in time for the busy wedding and formal season, which runs March through early October.
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