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About Us

Where are you? Naka is located in downtown Ferndale, MI, a happening little city just outside of Detroit. Ferndale has some of the funkiest, most unique, unpretentious shopping and dining in all of Michigan. If you’re in town, stop by! 171 W. 9 Mile Ferndale, MI 48220 Hours: Mon-Fri: 11-7 Sat: 11-6 Sun: 12-5 Who are you? Naka is owned by me, Kelly Pettibone LaPointe, and I’m pretty much the Sales/Buying/Marketing/Shipping/Accounting/Merchandising/PR/Visual/Advertising/In- House Jewelry Production departments, but I do have some excellent helpers. Among them are my mom Cindy, photo-taker, retail counsel, store maintenance head, and all-around indefatigable helper; Sam, my indspensable right-hand woman who helps me with all kinds of tasks and shares in my chair and typewriter obsessions (don't ask); Joshua, the best helper and t-shirt model a girl could ask for; and Ava the wonderdog, store greeter and and companion extraodinaire. How long have you been in business? Naka opened in September of 2005, and our online store opened in December 2006. Why indie? I believe very strongly that shopping with independent artists creates a more connected feeling to your community and other people as a whole, and that creative people deserve a place to have their work not only admired, but also purchased. Plus, I love the tiny flaws that make a handmade t-shirt or handbag beautiful, the inspiration that goes into a well-designed necklace or stationery set, and the quirky touches that keep the these items from being generic or commonplace. Is everything handmade? No, not everything, although a large percentage of it is. Those that aren’t are originally designed. Do you sell wholesale to other retailers? No, that’s not something I’m doing at this time. Who is your favorite jewelry/t-shirt/bag designer? I can’t choose just one! If it’s on the site or in the store, it’s something I think is special for one reason or another. What does Naka mean? Naka means “beautiful” in Shona, which is a language spoken in Zimbabwe. I was lucky enough to study abroad there in college, and always thought it was a lovely word. It also means “inside” in Japanese. What the heck is Day-Twa? Much like loyal shoppers refer to Target as “Tar-jay,” lots of Detroiters refer to Detroit using its original French pronunciation, “Des-trois.” Day-Twa is a phonetic play on this common nickname. You’ll only find Day-Twa items at Naka, since its our original design.