Sense Of Independence Lawrence Plaza

Naomi Zeligman and Michelle Ohayon grew up in a household of five sisters who spent a lot of time in each other’s closets, so fashion really is in their blood. It makes sense then that the women would end up co-owning Sense of Independence Boutique, a trendy spot that fashionistas in Forest Hill love to frequent.

Naomi started her career working part-time at Aritzia while taking courses at the Schulich School of Business. “I worked on an independent study about the marketing aspect of opening my own clothing store,” she recalls. “When I earned an A+ on it, I started thinking I should actually do this.”

Afraid to jump into business straight out of university, Naomi opened up shop in her parents’ basement. Her sister Michelle, who was studying veterinary medicine at McMaster University, helped out on weekends.

Then came a lot of networking for Naomi — meeting wholesalers and manufacturers and importers. In no time, Naomi was selling trendy brands that her friends hadn’t heard of and were eager to buy.