True Reflections' new store at the corner of Reid and Parliament streets offers the discriminating shopper a cultural excursion that can be found nowhere else on the Island.

Nepalese masks adorn the white walls, and share space alongside photographs, a framed poster of Jazz great Myles Davis, batik Masai prints and Kenyan jewellery.

There are places people will visit for their beauty, others for their culture or their ambiance, but the best, like True Reflections, proffer all three.

Store owner Mrs. Valerie Young grew tired of searching through magazine racks for the one magazine that reflected her ethnicity.

During her travels she would purchase hundreds of greeting cards with positive black images to give as gifts on special days.

But as soon as she came back home she discovered the cards disappeared because friends and family members asked for them.

"I decided that I might as well start selling the cards,'' Mrs. Young said.

"And I started selling them from my home.'' Mrs. Young branched out soon afterward. She acquired a pushcart and traversed the Dockyard, loaded down with household items, jewellery and a few books.

Like her first foray into the business realm, Mrs. Young said she could not meet the demand for her products, so a corner of her family's Warwick video store was pressed into service.

Soon after, she acquired some space on Court Street and True Reflections was born.

Almost five years later the shop has expanded to its new location.

Apart from the strident splash of colour that immediately greets the eye, the new shop's spaciousness is its most prompt feature.

To the right of the entrance is a collection of women's handbags with the kente motif, behind them is a large shelf which takes up part of the wall.

In each square cubicle are T-shirts that Bermudian designer Ms Nicole Hendrickson has screen painted.

Fashion-conscious shoppers will enjoy the diversity of casual and formal attire from Nigeria and Senegal that hangs at the centre of the rectangular-shaped store.

Books by distinguished American authors Terry McMillian, Maya Angelou and W.E.B. Dubois are prominent, alongside local authors Dale Butler, Dr. Eva Hodgson and Ira Philip.

"We've been here three weeks,'' Mrs. Young continued. "And already we have seen a change in clientele. We have kept our regular shoppers and to that we have added a new group who did not come down to our Court Street shop.'' The recession overall did not affect business greatly, she added, explaining that they do not buy in bulk from distributors.

Sales tactics may take some of the credit, but the strength of this business rests squarely on its family foundation.

Mrs. Young's mother Annie manages the store while her younger daughter Pat and her husband Martin help out on the shop floor.

"True Reflections is so-called because we want the store to represent what we are as a people,'' Mrs. Young adds.

"We want to demystify the Black experience while at the same time appealing to the trendy socialite and those who want to study further into African culture.

"In the future I would like to see the store become more like a mini museum where people come in, talk and congregate.'' WORKING TOGETHER -- True Reflections owner Mrs. Valerie Young (centre) poses alongside her younger sister Pat Humphrey and her husband Martin in the new store on the corner of Parliament and Reid streets.