PEcado: Petoskey’s Global Fashion Hub

From Ukraine, with love...and a bit of temptation

By Geri Dietze | Oct. 12, 2024

It's not easy to make a fashion statement, over and over again, with clothes, shoes, and accessories so fresh, so interesting, and so unexpected that it causes us to say, “I want that!” Petoskey’s PEcado might be the exception, with its large collection of under-the-radar brands and one-of-a-kind pieces.

PEcado is the creation of Anola Kelly, a multi-talented retailer whose life journey has combined childhood skills and professional training with a global style vision. And, it doesn’t hurt that PEcado has the perfect location on one of the most visible corners in Petoskey’s historic Gaslight District.

“It’s an amazing corner,” Kelly says. (Pappagallo held the space for decades.) The store name is a play on “pecado,” or Spanish for “sin,” but Kelly thinks of it as more of a “temptation to have beautiful things.” (The capital letters reference the initials of her maiden name—Elena Podoliak.)

First Love of Fashion

Podoliak/Kelly has quite a backstory: Kyiv born and raised, by age six or seven, she learned sewing, knitting, and cross-stitching from her mother and grandmother, and by age 14 she was making custom garments for family. At 16, she was creating fashion for private clients. Along the way, she earned an associate degree in fashion.

The movie The Devil Wears Prada was an inspiration, and Kelly “fell in love with the [accessories].” She created a vegan leather purse inspired by the movie, which was admired by a designer she met, of all places, in the ladies’ room of a Ukrainian nightclub. The chance meeting led to an interview and a job offer, but Kelly was one month away from moving to the States, so she had to decline. She knew, however, at that moment, that “one way or another, I would work in the industry.”

In 2009, Kelly arrived in Washington, D.C., to attend George Washington University as an exchange student. During a summer visit to Petoskey, the town “stole my heart,” and she eventually made the move north. Kelly learned basic leatherworking skills, working with fine leathers and exotic skins, at B. May, Petoskey’s premier one-of-a-kind bag and purse studio. “It was a great experience, [and one] that I’m thankful for.”

Kelly was interested in structured bags and in creating her own line. “I read every magazine I could get my hands on” as well as connecting with, and learning from, others on social media. Her first business was started in 2011, and by 2013, PEcado Handbags and Accessories was operating out of a showroom in Bay Harbor. Her expansion into ready-to-wear apparel, plus her own creations, necessitated a bigger space, and PEcado moved to downtown Petoskey.

In addition to the styles of Miranda Priestly, Kelly adds that she is heavily influenced by architecture, and one of her distinctive purse designs was actually inspired by the angles of a Miami high rise. She has also designed alligator chairs, including the tails, for a special client.

Shop the Store

As with any industry, designers are also influenced by what’s going on in the world. “History plays a huge part,” Kelly explains. “Eastern European [designers] are very talented,” she says, with high quality throughout, “but during the Soviet time, there wasn’t much available.”

However, after the fall of the Soviet Union, Ukrainian and other Eastern European designers channeled their creativity into unique designs. Prior to 2022 and the Russian invasion, Kelly says designers were “tailoring their clothes to a Western look,” but after that, designers “embraced their culture” and began including embroidery and traditional cuts of sleeves and skirts, for example.

As a result, PEcado fashions have a recognizable, high-style look, but there is also a sense that one is seeing something new and fresh: a clever cut, an interesting detail, or an unexpected embellishment. Bright colors don’t exactly dominate, but they are incorporated into the PEcado vibe. (Partly to satisfy the large number of Florida-based patrons, but also as part of Alona Kelly’s personal style aesthetic.)

From Ukrainian designers, look to Nataly Bloom for fine knitwear and separates in gorgeous fluid fabrics; and young and hip A.KOM with bold prints and textures, in a range of brights and neutrals, with ingenious silhouettes. Denize is known for tailored trousers for business and casual. The Jaden brand, with separates and sets, plus dresses for both casual and formal occasions, is based in Turkey, as is Gizia, offering a sophisticated, high-fashion look in daywear and elegant special occasion dresses.

PEcado manager Hayley Fettig shares her forecasts for fall and winter. Look for neutrals from camel to dark brown with “pops of color in shoes and accessories.” Fettig says that this year’s “it” colors are kelly green, cobalt blue, and coffee brown. She adds that leather is very in, and denim moves beyond jeans to include rompers, dresses, jumpers, and short jackets.

More Must-Haves

PEcado has fabulous accessories, including the ones Kelly makes on-site. Check out the jewelry from Bounkit, handcrafted in its New York City studio, featuring chunky semi-precious stones in bold settings of gold plate or sterling. The brand is vintage-inspired, but thoroughly contemporary. Kelly has worked closely with the Bounkit owner for designs unique to PEcado or for a specific client. A couple of her designs have also made it into the Bounkit collections.

The Petoskey shop is also a great source for finely made shoes: Ukraine’s Vitto Rossi brand, a PEcado best-seller, are all elegantly constructed and eye-catching, like the slipper-soft loafers in sherbert-colored suede (also available to order in practical fall neutrals). Vitto Rossi pumps, sandals, boots, sneakers, and casual street styles are all fashioned from fine leathers and cutting-edge materials.

Likewise, check out Ukrainian-owned Attizzare, offering shoes fashioned in Portugal by master craftsmen from leathers, suedes, textiles, and nubuck, with imaginative hardware and flourishes.

And let’s not forget about the handbags that started it all. From clutches to crossbodies to statement totes, the store has no shortage of bags for the stylish shopper. Kelly carries purses from several designers alongside her own collection, which are handmade and lean toward modern silhouettes.

Kelly loves to connect with clients, and she can be counted on to present what works best for the individual without ever doing a hard sell. (She is also a life coach with deep training, so be prepared to have the best shopping experience ever.) “I work on a very individualized basis, and can explain what works and what doesn’t work,” she tells us.

Visit PEcado at 402 E Lake St. in Petoskey. pecadolimited.com; (231) 347-1000.