“You look totally fla-mazing!”
The catchy sign in front of Funky Flamingo Gift Shop in New Smyrna Beach, Florida, elicits laughter and curiosity. “We hear people outside the shop repeat it before they come in!” says Adele Ring, who owns the gallery and shop with her photographer husband, Michael Ring. The couple decided to differentiate their boutique from others in the Atlantic-side beach town by focusing on the quintessential pink bird, inspired by a trip to the Caribbean island of Beau Mer.
“The island has more than 10,000 flamingos, so we rented a golf cart and took photos of the wild flamingos in their natural habitat,” explains Adele. The adventure prompted a rebranding.
At Funky Flamingo, 75% of products are created in-house and 25% are acquired from vendors at the various marts the Rings visit throughout the year. Beach bags, hair ties, drinkware like tumblers and mugs, a custom notecard line, baby onesies, coasters, soaps, dishtowels and pillows are just some of the hand-mades guests can purchase.
But what really separates this funky shop from the lot is the fun-loving flamingo phrases that are printed on products. Aside from, “You look fla-mazing,” customers who seek out flamingo items go for items that say, “Crazy Flamingo Ladies.”
And in fact, there is such a thing. “We didn’t really realize how many people were into flamingos until we started to carry and print the flamingo products, and people would come in and say, ‘I have a friend who is a crazy flamingo lady!’ and they’d buy gifts,” Michael says, sharing how the popular tagline originated.
“The name came from one of our customers, and we started adding even more products,” Adele says, adding that a customer the other day stocked up on nearly a dozen flamingo products for a friend who collects items.
What’s the big deal with this pink bird, anyway?
“The beauty of it,” Michael says, adding that in many ways, “they almost look fake and cartoonish. It’s a bird that is so different than any other on this planet.”
While people often tie the flamingo to Florida, there really aren’t that many in the state, Adele points out. “Some people come in the shop thinking they saw a flamingo when it was really a Roseate spoonbill,” she says.
But whether or not visitors will actually spot a flamingo in New Smyrna Beach, the following is growing, and Funky Flamingo has steadily expanded its product selection during the 11 years the store has been open. Adele says, “We have a relaxed rustic feel in the store, so when people come in they feel relaxed, welcomed and they see a mixture of products.”
