LEWISTON – A new specialty shop on Lisbon Street is the personification of its Somali-American owners.

Trendy peasant blouses are displayed next to traditional Somali scarves. Distressed button-fly jeans share space with Muslim prayer rugs. If the FUBU footwear doesn’t interest you, how about a Middle Eastern incense burner, pronounced oon-see?

The three Somali immigrants who jointly own World Fashions have been in the United States for decades. Their inventory reflects a mixture of their Middle Eastern roots and their thoroughly American teenagers.

“It’s having teenagers, that’s how I chose what to sell,” said Hawa Kahin with a laugh and a glance at her daughter, Nimo, who was working the cash register. Nimo, in typical teenage fashion, rolls her eyes.

Kahin and her two partners, Safia Hersi and Hussein Mohammed, have 12 children among them. They also shared a dream of opening their own business.

Initially, Kahin and Hersi wanted to open a restaurant, but they couldn’t find the right location. Then they thought of operating a clothing and specialty store, something that didn’t exist downtown. In little over a month, they took it from idea to opening.

“We hope everyone will come here to shop,” said Kahin. “Everybody is welcome.”

The store offers an eclectic mix. There are hip-hop fashions for men and women as well as more conservative Western clothes. Beautiful Pakistani tunic and pant sets are just a stone’s throw from cutlery sets.

Some of the inventory is specific to people with darker skin. World Fashions carries a line of makeup, beauty and hair products for African-Americans. They also have perfume from the Middle East.

Even the housewares section has an Arabic flavor. There are damask drapes drenched in colors such as raspberry and apricot, with luxurious fringe and tassels.

“Every Arab house in New York has drapes like these,” said Kahin.

The partners made two trips to New York wholesalers for their inventory. They hope their downtown location and modest prices will help them compete with the malls.

“And we’re tired of going to Portland to buy clothes,” said Hersi.

The store is open from a 9 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Kahin acknowledges that’s a long day, but she’s no stranger to hard work. She worked 20 years in bakeries in Georgia before moving here two years ago. Mohammed, who owned a clothing store in Atlanta, is helping to set up the shop, but he has a full-time job at Gates Formed-Fibre.

“But it’s good to have a man around to help,” Kahin said as Mohammed blew up balloons to adorn the store sign he’d mounted with a power drill earlier Wednesday.

The store is holding a grand opening Friday, Aug. 15, with snacks and other treats for shoppers.

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