A walk down Faye Avenue in La Jolla would take you past some lush locales — the Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center, the Lot La Jolla for upscale movie viewing, several Instagram-worthy brunch spots. But about a block away, you’ll find something a little “funky.”
Razmata’zz is a boutique clothing shop featuring a variety of unique styles, from vintage to repurposed clothing and even items designed by the owner, Artillia Marcellous. But even more unique may be that the shop is run by one of the few Black business owners in La Jolla.
“It’s been kind of difficult because the people here in the area, they’re not used to seeing a Black business in this city,” Marcellous said. “However, I’ve gone through more things than that in my past, so this is just another stepping stone, and I am here to show other Black entrepreneurs that they can go wherever they want to go and be successful.”
Marcellous is a proud Black entrepreneur but says she wants to appeal to everyone in the community. Razmata’zz is Marcellous’ sixth store. Along with owning and operating her current store, she sells her original pieces at local markets.
Marcellous’ love for fashion design goes back to her childhood.
“It’s a lifestyle, it’s not a hobby,” Marcellous said. “I was raised in a rural area that didn’t have clothing stores, so I had to create my own clothing with my grandmother’s Singer sewing machine.”
But her talent for fashion was put on hold as she delved into another career — her parents didn’t think clothing design was a viable option at the time, Marcellous explained.
“After many, many years in the medical field, I quit that field and began doing something that I like.”
Marcellous opened her first brick-and-mortar shop in 1995 and hasn’t looked back. She now has over 20 years of experience as a business owner.
The journey as a business owner was mixed with failures and success, the former is what Marcellous uses as fuel for her current success.
“Anytime you fail in business it is not saying that you need to quit, it means that you need to keep going because your failures are your success stories, and it tells you what not to do,” Marcellous said.
Marcellous has an eye toward the future and plans to expand her business, which according to its Instagram page has “unique funky designs.”
“What’s next for me is to keep on being a role model and keep on grinding,” Marcellous said. “That’s why they call me the queen of hustle.”
