About Bano Boutique

Designer Clothing

BANO Boutique has grown from what started as Sima Rafizadeh’s zeal and innate eye for quality products and fabrics to a boutique, offering designer clothing from Europe, the US and Canada.

Each piece of clothing, from accessories to coats, sweaters, dresses, etc., is hand-picked by Sima on one of her four seasonal buying trips annually to Europe and New York. Each piece is exclusive in that only a few designs are bought in bulk, while the majority of the designs from BANO Boutique are bought as one-off pieces where only one is available for purchase. This ensures the BANO customer will not ‘see themselves’ at local events.

To quote one of Sima’s customers – “BANO has designer clothes you can’t find anywhere else in the area.”

Superior Customer Service

BANO Boutique is owned and operated by Sima and she is in the Boutique daily (Tuesday – Saturday) to assist any and all customers. Her goal is to be sure you are completely satisfied with each and every purchase. BANO Boutique has been in Durham for 20 years and is known as a Boutique where you’ll find quality designer products, excellent alterations and tailoring and the best customer service of any Boutique in the area.

Sima is also available for appointments/consultations to work with you as a wardrobe consultant helping you decide what in your closet needs to go, what should stay and what is needed to compliment your existing wardrobe.

Custom Tailoring and Alterations

BANO Boutique is one of the last specialty stores in the Triangle to offer on-site alterations plus alterations and custom tailoring for women and men and dressmaking, including bridal gowns, for the general public.

Sima’s unexpected career in fashion began in high school when she started sewing for herself. Her love for design and beautiful fabrics became her passion.

Before opening BANO Boutique, Sima worked as a tailor in upscale boutiques in Durham and then as a tailor of couture women and men fashion in Florence, Italy.

Sima’s love for alterations, custom tailoring and dressmaking has also earned her recognition in the Triangle area, including the Herald Sun’s Reader’s Choice Award for Best Alterations for the last 10 years. 

Community Service

The success Sima has enjoyed has been given back to the community throughout the years through her support of charitable events and organizations in the community, i.e., Center for Child and Family Health, Breast Cancer Research – “I love this job – and if I can, I will give back to the community as much, if not more, then what it has given me. “