Ingrid Geiseman Chooses Land Rover
Story by Kara Schweiss // Photography by Bill Sitzmann
As a haberdasher, or custom clothier, Ingrid Geiseman fits her clients for men’s and women’s custom apparel—including casual pieces, career wear such as dress shirts and fine suits, and even formalwear for special occasions such as evening gowns and tuxedos. When Geiseman purchased her 2018 Land Rover Discovery Sport from ONYX Automotive in April 2021, she immediately noticed parallels between the dealership and her work for Tom James of Omaha.
“They are well-made products. They help us present ourselves in a manner that shows who we are,” she said. “Our clients wear fine clothing and drive luxury vehicles. There is definitely a correlation between ONYX Automotive’s clientele and my clientele; they’re people who expect some of the same experiences in life. They like VIP treatment.”
Custom clothing reflects personal style—considering fit, fabric, color, and other details—so as a custom clothier for nearly 19 years, Geiseman guides and assists her clients through every choice in building a wardrobe, which means she gets to know people extremely well in order to understand their backgrounds, who they interact with in their professional lives, their fashion preferences, and their existing wardrobe.
“Our clients rely on us to build and manage their wardrobe; we’re trusted advisers to them like they have advisers for other aspects of their lives,” she said, adding that her clients become “almost like family.”
That personal service includes working onsite, Geiseman said, which means a lot of travel in and around Omaha as well as to surrounding communities like Council Bluffs, Fremont, and Lincoln. “I visit them in their office or their home; it’s all about convenience.”
Reliable transportation is important to Geiseman in her work, she said, but so is image.
WHEN IT CAME TIME TO PURCHASE A NEW VEHICLE, GEISEMAN CONSIDERED MANY OF THE SAME FACTORS AS HER OWN CLIENTELE, FROM PRACTICAL TO AESTHETIC, WITH THE END GOAL BEING TO FIND A PLEASING STYLE AND PERFECT FIT.
Sometimes there are surprises in the fashion and automotive sales industries. Geiseman came to ONYX Automotive with the 2018 Land Rover Discovery Sport in mind, but pictured a neutral shade.
“I went into the dealership to look at a white one,” she said. Then, she saw her preferred make and model in crimson. “It caught my eye,” she continued, noting that she is not a “red-car person.”
She’s been happy with her unexpected choice.
“I love the look of it. I get so many comments and compliments on the color and on the vehicle itself,” Geiseman said. “It’s fun, yet professional. And I feel it shows my personality. I feel like it says I am somebody with good style and taste, and who is OK standing out. I know I said ‘fun’ already, but I feel like it’s a fun car and I feel like I’m a fun person.”
A luxury vehicle, like fine clothing, projects a certain something, Geiseman said, and she thinks the Land Rover brand is part of that.
“It’s important with my job that I take care of my appearance, and I think [the vehicle] shows a level of success and seriousness at the same time, that I’m a business professional,” she said.
“I LIKE THE ROOM IT OFFERS. I FEEL IT’S REALLY ROOMY FOR A MIDSIZE SUV.”
— INGRID GEISEMAN
The Discovery Sport also has great safety features and practical advantages, Geiseman said.
“It’s very reliable and keeps me safe, and it’s also a good size for what I have to do; I carry a lot of things with me like fabric samples and clothing.”
As someone who travels to her clients, Geiseman said her vehicle functions as her office, in a sense.
“I need room for that. It’s where I spend the most time,” she explained. “It’s comfortable to be in but it still has a classy image.”
Geiseman’s Discovery Sport also serves her well outside of work, whether it’s visiting family in northeast Nebraska, taking a girlfriends’ trip to Okoboji, or driving her 14-year-old and 11-year-old children to various activities. “I’m a part-time Uber driver,” she joked.
A haberdasher knows all about top-notch service, Geiseman said, and she has nothing but rave reviews for ONYX Automotive’s sales department.
“I am extremely impressed with them. I think they are super-professional, very accommodating. You can tell they care about the people who walk in the door, and they have good attention to detail,” she said.
Geiseman recently went back to ONYX Automotive after picking up a nail in one of her tires. It could have been a major inconvenience, but the service department was attentive to her needs and even offered a loaner vehicle.
“The whole process was a positive experience,” Geiseman said, adding that she felt as valued as she strives to make her own customers feel. “I like to be pampered every so often, too.”
