SARATOGA SPRINGS — The ladies of the lower level in the Saratoga Marketplace at 454 Broadway have pooled their resources to host a joint (and somewhat belated) grand opening event taking place Saturday, Oct. 22 and Sunday, Oct. 23.

Over the past five months, four new businesses — all for women, by women — opened in the Saratoga Marketplace, breathing life into what has long been a quiet lower corridor.

There are five women behind these four businesses: Aleah Homer of The Body Lounge and Dust Cosmetics; Kendal and Keriann McGillycuddy of McGillycuddy's Naturals; Karen Score of Yoga Mandali and the Studio Store and Lisa Alden of Fiat Feminae.

This weekend, the group is putting on a collaborative "grand opening" where guests will be able to shop four locations and receive special discounts, free food & refreshments and enter for giveaways.

Here's the gist of these businesses, all with links to the "In the Biz" story I wrote about each one when it opened and or moved.

The Body Lounge & Dust Cosmetics: Early this June, Aleah Homer made her dream of opening an L.A. or Manhattan-style spa come true when she opened the Body Lounge. The "unique" spa offers new-age treatments such as an oxygen bar, organic teeth whitening and acupuncture. Homer also sells Dust, her original line of organic mineral cosmetics, at the spa.

McGillycuddy's Naturals: Kendal and Keriann McGillycuddy were next to enter the Marketplace's lower level shortly after Homer in June. The sisters' mother started making natural, handmade soaps for the girls when they were young because they often suffered from sensitive skin irritated by the chemicals in most pharmaceutical body products. Eventually the soap-making became a family run business with soap-making shared between their mother and Kendal and Keriann. This summer, the sisters led the way in opening a retail shop, McGillycuddy's Naturals, which offers all natural, hand-crafted, bath and body products.

Yoga Mandali's Studio Store: Karen Score, owner of Yoga Mandali opened the Studio Store this August in the former location of the main Yoga Mandali studio on the lower level of the Marketplace. Yoga Mandali's studio moved to the upstairs level, above the retail shops and Score had always hoped to open a joint retail outlet. When her old space became available she seized the opportunity and opened the Studio Store, a yoga-wear and accessories shop that carries quality brands in athletic wear and a variety of other items from yoga mats to books and CDs.


Fiat Feminae: The latest lady entrepreneur to join the lower level is Lisa Alden, owner of the lingerie boutique Fiat Feminae. Alden opened the European-style lingerie shop on the second floor of 489 Broadway this summer, but began to find the upstairs location was intimidating customers on the street. When the space opened up in the Marketplace, Alden immediately signed the lease and in less than a week had relocated to the lower level in early October. Fiat Feminae carries exotic European lingerie, signature corsets and more.

This weekend customers will receive 20% off at the above locations. They can also enter for a grand prize giveaway, participate in a scavenger hunt with prizes and enjoy free food and refreshments (I'm sold).

The sales and special activities run from 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 22 and from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 23.

As a fellow female, let me just channel the Spice Girls and say, "Girl Power." Rock on.