The Mid City boutique features hand-picked, one-of-a-kind pieces.
By Megan Reed
Zoe Guillory has been surrounded by fashion for most of her life. As a small child, she played in her great-grandmother’s closet in New Orleans. When she moved to Los Angeles, her first job was working with a family member who owned a boutique. So it was always her dream to own her own women’s clothing store.
After years of selling clothes out of her home and at the Melrose Trading Post, she opened up her own storefront, and her loyal customers are loving her fashion sense.
“You have to have a great eye,” Guillory said. “It’s not about the cost of the clothes, it’s about how you put it together. Just because you have Gucci or Pucci, it doesn’t mean that it’s going to look fabulous. You can go thrift shopping or vintage shopping and find amazing pieces.”
While many boutiques are either contemporary or vintage, Guillory seamlessly mixes the two.
“Vintage has a story,” she said. “You’re going back to the 1920s, or the 1960s. Those are statement pieces. Currently there are contemporary fashions that are actually duplicating vintage fashion.”
Guillory doesn’t want her boutique to be just like every other women’s clothing store in the area, just as most women do not want to wear the same outfit that other women are wearing. So Guillory hand picks one-of-a-kind pieces, and she makes some of the clothing to ensure the uniqueness of the styles.
“A lot of customers say that this store is a hidden treasure, because you will find a jewel here,” Guillory said.
Los Angeles has a very fashion rich culture, and many people dress for various occasions.
“The Beyonce concert was this weekend, so a lot of women came in for sequence pieces,” Guillory said. “They want that statement piece so that they can be seen when they got to a concert.”
The boutique also sells shoes, jewelry, purses, and other accessories.
Zoe’s Vintique offers services that larger stores usually do not.
“When you’re in a small boutique, they give you that time and that patients,” Guillory said. “If you’re trying to find something special, at a huge department store, they may not have time to go through every section of the store with you, and they may not have time to match up your outfit with the right shoes or necklace.”
Zoe’s Vintique also hosts events to increase community engagement. Earlier this year they hosted the Black Business Tour, and every Friday evening they have a lady’s night at 6 p.m.
“We drink wine, we talk, and we have a great time,” Guillory said.
Items can be purchased on Zoe’s Vintique’s website at www.zoesvintique.com, and they can be found on Etsy, Facebook, and Instagram. Store ours are Monday thru Thursday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., every other Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. The boutique is located at 1410 S. Redondo Boulevard. Call them at (323) 934-0302.
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