The story of Medina begins in 2003 in the north African country of Morocco.  Alison was invited to travel on a buying trip for a friend's store located in Baton Rouge. While there she fell in love with the culture, the "medina" (or central shopping area), and most of all she fell in love with the idea of opening her own store in Shreveport. After a phone call home for moral support, she decided to make this a buying trip for herself and her future store, MEDINA. Since then the style and the direction of the store have evolved and though the Moroccan influences are gone, the eclectic and unique style of Medina continues.