small business spotlight
Rose & Lee
WRITTEN BY DENA DAW | PHOTOGRAPHED BY JONATHAN FREDIN
Owners Prisca Lee D’Rozario, left, and Amber Rose Brennan make ethical shopping fun and accessible in the heart of downtown Apex.
SET IN A QUAINT, historic house in downtown Apex, Rose & Lee is a women’s clothing, accessory and gift boutique partnering with conscientious brands committed to making the world a better place. Thanks to a shared desire to make a difference in the world by building a community of change right here in North Carolina, owners Amber Rose Brennan and Prisca Lee D’Rozario opened shop in November 2019 and have been curating ethically crafted goods ever since. We caught up with Brennan and D’Rozario to learn more about their goal to empower women locally and around the world. 94 MAY 2022
How did your previous work experience influence the creation of Rose & Lee?
Before Rose & Lee was even a spark of an idea, Amber worked in store leadership at Target from 2010–2012. It was during this time that she first became aware of fast fashion and its devastating effects on the environment and the people behind the products. As she researched companies that were operating with fair working conditions and a respect for our planet, she began to dream of one day opening a boutique that would bring these brands together. In 2016, Amber met her now business partner, Prisca, while
working in operations at a local nonprofit serving at-risk teenage girls. As Amber was exiting from her role in 2018, Prisca asked her what she had always dreamt of doing. It was then that Amber shared her vision to open an ethical boutique. Prisca was intrigued by the idea and immediately offered to join her if she ever decided to take the leap. Fast forward one year and they would be filing for the business license with the state and closing on a property to open shop! What kinds of products do you sell?
We sell women’s clothing, accessories and gifts for the woman on the go! Our goal is
