“This is a happy place,” said Sadia Ross, owner of Glamora by Sadia, as she gestured toward the interior of her elegant boutique where designer wares are enticingly arranged throughout. “This is the playground.”

The store, located in The Streets of Brentwood lifestyle center, is a playground for grownups – namely, couture-craving fashionistas, many of whom are willing to wait up to two years for a Louis Vuitton handbag.

Mannequins are draped in breezy jumpsuits and flowing dresses. Handbags and jewelry are artfully arranged in freestanding armoires. Sharp-heeled shoes of all colors peek out from cubbyholes. Comb through the dresses and you might find a gown designed by Sadia herself.

“It’s like a big closet,” remarked Manager Lindsay Calcese.

Open since July 2010, Glamora is a high-end consignment boutique that sells haute heavyweights including Hermès, Chanel, Prada, Gucci, Fendi, Givenchy, Christian Dior, Bottega Veneta, Christian Louboutin, Louis Vuitton, Christian Audigier, Yves Saint Laurent, Coach and Badgley Mischka.

“I’m able to tap into some beautiful goodies,” said Ross.

Glamora also stocks the same brands from sample sales, purchased from upscale department stores such as Neiman Marcus, and offers layaway options, discounts and weeklong loans for select items. “The current economy is tough, but we all want to look good and we all want to be admired,” said Ross. “The merchandise is an investment.”

Being fashionable is a creative outlet, an energizer and delightfully therapeutic for Ross. But she’s also a shrewd businesswoman, loving wife and devoted mother of an 8-year-old son. Animated, playful and chatty, Ross is beautiful and big-hearted.

Additionally, though she downplays her involvement, Ross is occasionally invited to United Nations headquarters in New York. She typically goes on behalf of Mindanao, the Philippine village she grew up in before immigrating to the United States in 1994.

Ross was raised in a royal, affluent family. Since many residents of Mindanao typically make $1 per day, she said, their hardscrabble lives still affect her. As she spoke of the hardships faced by women and children daily, tears welled up in her eyes. “Every time I go and visit the U.N., not all our prayers are answered,” she said. “But sometimes we find solutions.”

She feels that her humanitarian role is not only a privilege, but fulfills her father’s admonition to pursue a noble mission in life.

Ross’s efforts to reach out to others also extended to Calcese, whom she hired nearly a year ago on a gut instinct that Calcese would fit perfectly into the Glamora environment. A licensed cosmetologist, Calcese is enjoying her first foray into business and employee management.

“It’s hard work, especially since I’m so new at this,” she said. “But I love the hard work. And the fashion aspect is so much fun. Plus, I enjoy seeing the customers happy.”

Calcese is also a wife and mother. Slender and luminous, you’d never guess she gave birth to a son eight weeks ago. “I feel empowered, especially since I just had a baby,” she said. “I’ve come a long way and feel that I can take on and handle more with Sadia’s help.”

Ross appreciates Calcese’s willingness to learn from her. It’s obvious by their easy rapport that Ross and Calcese are not only employer and employee, but friends. “I have her support every step of the way,” said Ross. “And she has mine.

“Women look out for each other. As women, we want to feel love, and we want to express love, whether we are sisters or not. We are all the same blood, just a different type. We have to back each other up.”

For more information about Glamora by Sadia, stop by the store at The Streets of Brentwood, 2475 Sand Creek Road, Suite 112, call 925-516-4760 or visit www.glamorabysadia.com.