After 30 years in the same building, Stella Carakasi has moved to:
Gilman Street, Suite B in Berkeley CA 94710!
Writing those words feels surreal.
At the end of December, our long-term lease came to an end, and with it, a chapter that has shaped not only our business, but who we are. This move was a bittersweet goodbye, filled with gratitude, memories, and yes, a fair amount of uncertainty. This move is also fueled with excitement and hope for what comes next.
It was 1995 when we arrived in Berkeley’s, what is now known as the “Gilman District”. Back then, it was simply a neighborhood we could afford and where we could create, experiment, and build something meaningful. We were young, eco-fashion disruptors before “sustainability” was a buzzword, doing the work because it felt necessary and right. From those early days as Two Star Dog Inc., we laid a foundation that many brands would later build upon, stressing the importance of sustainability.
Over the years, we occupied various spaces within the same building as our business grew and evolved. We rose. We expanded. We opened our own sewing factory. We wholesaled our collections to hundreds of specialty boutiques across the country, added international distribution, partnered with department stores and catalogs, produced private label collections, and eventually ventured into direct-to-consumer. We have seen it. We have done it. And we have done it well.
But time changes everything.
With rents at historic highs, and our lease ending, staying no longer made sense. We have moved into a much smaller space, one that feels both humbling and energizing. To be honest, the process was overwhelming. Thirty years of patterns, samples, systems, memories, and momentum did not pack up easily. Yet alongside that overwhelm is a genuine excitement for fresh beginnings as we embrace 2026.
This new space brings with it ambitious new ideas for growth and expansion, but this time, we are bringing three decades of hard-earned wisdom with us. We are putting our experience to work, avoiding past mistakes where we can, and undoubtedly making new ones (because that’s part of creating anything worth doing). Hindsight may be 20/20, but growth has always required courage, and we are stepping forward with eyes wide open.
The truth is, 2025 has been an especially challenging year for many reasons. While we have experienced the natural highs and lows that come with running a business for 30 years, 2025 tested us in deeper ways. And yet, we are still here, still designing, still committed, still believing in what we do and why we do it.
Most importantly, we are here because of you.
To our customers, our community, and everyone who has supported Stella Carakasi over the years: THANK YOU! Your loyalty, trust, and belief in our values have carried us through every season, especially the hard ones. We hope you will continue this next chapter with us, as we simplify, refine, and reimagine what the future can be.
This move is a recalibration. A return to what matters most. A reminder that sometimes, growth doesn’t mean getting bigger, it means getting clearer.
Thank you for being part of our journey. We cannot wait to show you what is next.
With gratitude and optimism,
Stella Carakasi & Team
