Prim Sage Boutique provides an upscale shopping experience

Akilah Senor, a Tennessee native, has always wanted to be involved in the fashion industry in some manner. After launching an online clothing boutique, a brick and mortar space became available in downtown Midland. Senor’s dream of opening up a clothing boutique came true. Prim Sage offers local shoppers an upscale retail experience, specializing in business casual clothing. 

“When I was younger, my mother taught me how to sew on my grandmother’s old sewing machine,” Senor says. “I sketched and made clothes for dolls when I was in elementary and middle school.”

Senor initially planned on going to design school, but her parents encouraged her to get a well-rounded degree, so she pursued business. A few years ago, she used that knowledge to launch an online store for Prim Sage. “Going the boutique route was the way I wanted to start getting in the fashion industry,” she says. “It’s something where I can curate my own collection, without having to design the clothes at the forefront.”

Prim Sage Boutique hosted a few pop-up shops around town in October 2021, and launched the website in December 2021. After growing online sales and expanding the shop’s social media presence, Prim Sage opened their brick and mortar location in downtown Midland in November 2022. This marks the second retail location for the small business, also located in a downtown Bay City space, along with 13 other small businesses. 

The owner of Elodie Boutique, previously located in the space, reached out to Senor, and asked if she’d be interested in the newly-available space. Senor was excited to bring her vision for the storefront to life. 
Prim Sage Boutique also offers accessories.
“I really like business casual clothing,” Senor says. “That doesn’t mean you’re always dressing up, but every now and then, somebody wants to have a nice top to wear to go on a shopping date with their friends, or going out on a date.”
Senor curates the collection of available boutique items herself, filling the store with blouses, blazers, slacks, dresses, and accessories for anyone who wants to look nice and feel their best. Prim Sage leans heavily into the business casual side of fashion, and away from the comfy trendy clothing. They also offer a small men’s section of clothing too. 

The space is clean and contemporary, with simple shelving, wood floors, and exposed brick walls. Senor didn’t have to do much of a makeover to the interior’s neutral color scheme, but she did add classy light fixtures to lighten up the space even more. “It doesn’t really feel like you’re in Midland when you step in there,” she says, “that’s kind of the vibe I’m going for.”

Prim Sage Boutique is located at 132 E. Main Street in downtown Midland.Senor’s goals for Prim Sage Boutique is to continually gather community presence, and to host other small business pop-ups like how she got her start. “I was able to have a few permanent jewelry pop-ups in my shop, and I want to be able to cater to other small businesses who do not have a physical location,” she says. 

Senor moved to Midland with her husband about five years ago, and together, the couple owns a local tree removal business, Concord Tree Service. Prim Sage Boutique is located at 132 E. Main St., in the former Elodie Boutique space.  Current hours are Tuesday and Thursday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Wednesday and Friday from noon to 7 p.m., and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.