Paper Doll Vintage Boutique in Sayville to reopen after devastating fire

Sayville resident Emily Newhouse may have been the last person to shop at Paper Doll Vintage Boutique.

Just six weeks postpartum, the new mother and vintage fashionista was perusing inventory at the Sayville staple last October when a fire broke out in a neighboring storefront undergoing renovations, according to a lawsuit. The flames ultimately would destroy the boutique and its inventory and damage six other downtown businesses.

“I remember that night thinking … ‘Is our whole town going to burn down?’ ” said Newhouse, 39, recalling the fear and grief she felt watching the storefront burn.

The Sayville community rallied in the wake of the fire, donating funds and supplies to businesses that have worked to rebuild. While much progress has been made, there’s still work to be done, said Eileen Tyznar, president emeritus and administrator of the Greater Sayville Chamber of Commerce.

But in a milestone toward recovery, Paper Doll will officially reopen Saturday at a new location at 106 Railroad Ave. in Sayville. A small but thriving vintage fashion community on Long Island and New York City eagerly awaits its reopening.

"People are eager to shop before then, but we have to make sure to cross our t's and dot our i's and get everything finished before we're ready to open in full swing," owner Dominique Maciejka said. 

The store owner is a talented curator of “unique and stunning” vintage clothing and accessories, said Randi Padover, an artist and model based in Suffolk County who frequently shopped at the store. She was there a week before the fire and had been looking forward to returning to buy specific items later.

The store was well known for having a “New York City-level” selection of retro fashion, said Newhouse, 39, who studied fashion in college and is part of the vintage community on Long Island.

The appeal of vintage

Vintage apparel has been appealing for centuries, said Doris Domoszlai-Lantner, an independent fashion historian and archivist who teaches at the Fashion Institute of Technology in Manhattan.

"A lot of people who specifically wear vintage on a regular basis often say, 'Vintage clothes, not vintage values,' " she said, noting that pre-owned clothing has a wide range of appeal — from providing a sustainable alternative to fast fashion, to the charm of wearing apparel that has already lived a life.

And vintage fashion is often integrated into current trend cycles, she said, such as polka dots reminiscent of the '50s and jelly shoes from the '90s.

Paper Doll Vintage Boutique in particular stands out, she said, as a store that provides details about the history of its products, such as when they were made and the maker. 

The inventory at Paper Doll Vintage, built up over years, became a source for outfitting productions at Netflix, Hulu, Amazon and A24, Maciejka said. She helped provide clothing for all three seasons of the popular show “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” and fashion designer Michael Kors often frequented the store to study vintage pieces.

Much of that inventory is gone. Maciejka said she may sell her other business, Paper Doll Curiosity Shoppe in Patchogue, which has been somewhat “neglected” in the wake of the fire, so she can focus on rebuilding.

Grand reopening

The store will mark its grand opening on Saturday with festivities that include a best-dressed contest, live DJs and dancing, and an after-party screening of the '90s classic “Clueless” across the street at the Sayville movie theater.

The celebration marks a return to the boutique’s role as a hub for the vintage and artistic community on Long Island, hosting art exhibitions and other events.

"Her shop is kind of more than just the shop; it really is a great artistic space and community space," said Kieran Johnson, executive director of the Huntington Arts Council. "She ran a lot of creative endeavors there. She's always supported the local arts community, and the local arts community has always supported her." 

The boutique used to host monthly pop-up exhibitions to give artists space for a "cross-breeding of ideas" and culture, Johnson said.

Community support

The new storefront for Paper Doll Vintage is possible "thanks to overwhelming community support, fundraisers, donations and the strength of its fiercely loyal customer base," Maciejka said, with art deco- and art noveau-inspired designs from builder and influencer Ricky Saetta, and artist and store manager Amanda Reilly.

Saetta, who is also known as Ricky TeeVee, helped design a "one-of-a-kind" layout with custom cabinetry, and Armstrong Flooring donated material for floors with the boutique's logo. A California-based company sold Maciejka gold ceiling paint at cost, and a Brooklyn-based company custom-printed wallpaper for the boutique also at cost. 

Reilly also painted a mural depicting the story of Sayville, with characters that include a girl emerging from a clamshell to represent the oyster and clamming history of the South Shore.

"Because people have been so generous and understanding with the fire, we've been able to create the space to be an immersive environment like we've never seen before," Maciejka said.

Sayville residents and customers are "excited to see the new vision" for the store, Tyznar said. “It’s been many very long months for [Maciejka] to put back together what has taken her so long to curate, and to see her store completed … is the cherry on top."

Other businesses impacted by the fire have made strides toward rebuilding as well, she said, including Boris’ Barber Shop, which has opened in a new location on Railroad Avenue.

The craft store Hammer & Stain is awaiting renovations and working on opening in a new location at Ronkonkoma Hub, she said, and Sayville Running Company is still working out of a temporary location as the store looks “forward to coming back to Main Street.

In November, Maciejka filed a $4.5 million lawsuit against her landlord and the owner of Cafe Joelle, which once occupied the space where the fire is believed to have started.

The suit, which also names contractors and unidentified others as defendants, alleges the fire could have been prevented if the defendants had taken "basic" fire safety precautions and maintained proper permits.

Joelle Barroom and Cafe is now operating on Foster Avenue in Sayville. A person who answered the phone there declined to comment.

The attorney's office for a property manager named in the suit did not immediately respond to a request for comment.