The Fashion Aperture was founded by Melissa Selbert, a seasoned merchant with nearly two decades of buying experience across luxury, contemporary, and heritage-driven retail. Her career began at Barneys New York, the ultimate starting point, working with iconic brands like The Row and Sacai. From there, she joined Scoop NYC, mastering the art of fast-turn contemporary—think denim, bold item assortments, and the beloved “Scoop Beach” concept that helped define a retail era. There she identified new and emerging brands in the Market to add to the vendor mix, such as Frame Denim and Jonathan Simkhai.

Melissa later brought her sharp eye and strategic mindset to leadership roles at Planet Blue and Sundance—two brands with vastly different audiences. At Planet Blue, she honed a trend-driven, youthful aesthetic rooted in West Coast cool. At Sundance, she pivoted to a more classic, heritage-inspired customer, refining assortments with storytelling and depth. This range sharpened her ability to think both nimbly and long-term, adjusting vision and strategy to elevate the unique DNA of each brand.

But through it all, one thing stayed constant: her deep admiration for the independent boutique.

Specialty stores are where the magic still happens. They reflect the neighborhoods they live in. They take risks. They discover. They connect. In a sea of sameness, they’re the ones with a point of view—and Melissa built The Fashion Aperture to support exactly that.

The name Aperture comes from Melissa’s background in photography. It’s about focus, clarity, and light—qualities she brings to the buying process. She sees the artistry in fashion design, but pairs it with the commercial instincts needed to build a profitable business. Her approach is both creative and calculated: part intuition, part spreadsheet.

The Fashion Aperture offers tailored support to help independent boutiques not just survive—but grow. Services include brand scouting, market coordination, assortment planning, and an array of fractional buying services tailored to your needs. Whether you need help refining your vendor matrix, navigating NY market, improving margins, or simply clearing space to think strategically, Melissa is here to help you sharpen your product vision and drive results.