Kerry McCluskey
Northern News Services

IQALUIT(Nov 09/98) - After years of perseverance, Eliza Kingdon has successfully cornered the fashion market in Iqaluit.

"I don't really know if I have any competition for what I carry," Kingdon said, referring to the mail-order line of highly-co-ordinated business and casual wear she has marketed out of her home since September.

Formerly located in a boutique in the Astro Hill Complex, Kingdon said moving her business to her home gave her much more freedom and still enabled her to provide the same high quality of attention and service women became accustomed to.

Now under the name Fashion Images by Eliza, the experienced entrepreneur said she is able to offer women in the Baffin Island community affordable and unique clothing they can't buy at any of the other shops in town.

"They don't offer the size range, the style or the flair that I have," said Kingdon, who described her products as top-quality designer clothing that was sensitive to some of the fashion problems encountered in small towns.

"We have a very limited supply and it really sets women apart in a town that is very small. We have to be sensitive to duplication," Kingdon said.

And she also has the other mail-order catalogues beat because she has actual samples in her home for her customers to try on and look at before they spend their money.

"It gets really frustrating for women because they order and it doesn't fit or the colours don't match."

Offering a complete money-back guarantee on items that she personally takes care of returning for her customers, Kingdon said it is rare that an item has to be sent back because of loose threads or weak seams.

"When I opened up, I really did my homework on the company I was going to do business with. Everything is top quality," Kingdon, the highest-selling consultant of her line in Canada, said.

With a complete outfit carrying a price tag of about $100, interested customers can phone for an appointment or have her arrange a show in their own home.