The Work We Do: Joanna Mazzella, Mint Clothing Boutique

Hi, I’m Joanna Mazzella and I am the owner here at Mint on Love Lane.

We opened this store 15 years ago in 2004, when there was not much on Love Lane. We saw potential in the street, loved the name of the street, and it seemed charming. We took a risk and it worked out. We’ve seen it grow to be the beautiful street that it is. 

We’ve had more stores open since then and now we have stores in Locust Valley, Plainview, Stony Brook and Westhampton Beach.

I was always in fashion. I went to FIT and graduated with a degree in fashion design. I worked for a buying agency in the city. I absolutely loved it. I would go to a bunch of shows and showrooms and pick out their buys for the new season.

Then I moved out here, worked at a couple of boutiques in the Hamptons.

I always wanted to have my own store. I thought it was time for the women of the North Fork to have a little more fashion in their lives.

I’ve always loved clothing. When I was in high school, everyone always used to joke “Oh, Joanna, you’re showing up in a new outfit again.”

I love putting looks together.

We have a lot of different lines, all trends based around what’s going on in fashion. We’re always keeping up with those types of trends and colors for the new season. We’re always discovering a new brand we want to show our customers, or a new dress we’re dying to wear ourselves. Everything in here is the kind of stuff that we all love and we want to wear. I love seeing the whole store come together for a new season. It’s the most exciting part by far.

We’re never bored here. We’re constantly getting new boxes in, we’re inventorying, we’re splitting inventory to go out to other locations.

We have a good grasp on what people really want to wear and what they feel good in. That’s what it’s all about, is making women feel good in what they’re wearing, because it improves their day.

“The Work We Do” is a News-Review multimedia project profiling workers around Riverhead Town. It is made possible by Peconic Landing. See more photos every Monday on Instagram @riverheadnewsreview.