As Fresno continues to expand, many new businesses have begun to arise. Newly opened gift shop, Let Me Take a Look, is showcasing local artists by bringing a creative flair to the gift-giving-game.

Owned by Suevia Vang, a Fresno native with a decade of experience in the fashion industry, the shop is home to many items that are locally sourced and even handmade by Vang herself.

“Watching her grow as a person and seeing that she did all this by herself is very rewarding for her and for me just to support her,” said Suey Xiong, Vang’s sibling-in-law.

Suevia and Suey had grown up together and stayed close throughout their adulthood, even as Vang was navigating life after moving away for college. When Vang moved back and opened the shop, it was an emotional moment for Xiong as she got to watch her childhood friend fulfill her dreams.

Vang, who opened the shop in September, said she uses her years of expertise in fashion in addition to her natural knack for graphic design to craft digital designs for Fresno stickers, enamel pins and keychains. The store also has a variety of unique gifts and stationery items such as pens and notebooks.

Before moving back to Fresno, Vang spent 14 years living in Los Angeles where she said she had worked 10 of those years in the fashion industry, but would later face feelings of burnout. As time went on, Vang realized that she wanted to make a shift in her career, but was waiting for the right time to make a move.

“The years I spent out there really inspired me to open up my shop and create what I like and clash it with the LA vibes,” Vang said.

The store’s name is inspired by businesses that were close to where she lived during her time in Los Angeles, including the restaurant Met Her At A Bar.
When deciding on the name, Vang knew that she wanted something that was attention-grabbing and that would draw customers in.

Despite initial challenges of finding the ideal location, Vang eventually found one just across the street from Fresno State after six months of working with four brokers.

“It was a journey not only as a minority woman but especially as a woman in business and it was not easy,” Vang said. “Other women paved the way for me and now I get to pave the way for future generations.”

Vang said that she was motivated by her older sister, who also owns her own shop. After her sister opened her first shop in 2020, that was what eventually pushed Vang to want to open her own shop as well.

Since the shop opened, locals have welcomed Vang and the store with open arms.

Lema Arya, a Fresno State student who lives nearby, found the store while passing by and has since come in every so often to look at the variety of products the store offers.

“I love seeing all the creativity from the local artists that she advertises,” Arya said. “I can spend hours going in circles in this store.”

The opening of the shop has been a true inspiration for women in business. The shop’s commitment to showcasing products from local artists and businesses has truly brought a unique feel to the store.

“My advice is to do it and keep going. There is a lot of reward that comes from pushing yourself to go all the way through,” Vang told The Collegian.

Let Me Take A Look serves as Vang’s manifestation of her dream of opening her shop and bringing a new creative twist on a modern-day gift shop to Fresno.