On the wall behind the cash register of Magnolia Lane Boutique hangs a print of Audrey Hepburn, taken from a poster of the 1961 film Breakfast at Tiffany’s, for which Hepburn received an Academy Award nomination.
‘Audrey is the essence of what a lady truly is,? said owner Anna Taylor. ‘She is and always will be my ideal lady.?
Atop the store’s door is a sign in an elegant script that reads: ‘There is no such thing as too many purses, too many shoes, or too many friends.?
That’s a mantra Taylor not only believes in, but it’s also her business principle.
The Oxford boutique sells handbags, jewelry, travel accessories, watches, necklaces, earrings, belts and buckles. Taylor hand selects all items she sells in the store.
A good example are the handbags. Magnolia Lane Boutique is Michigan’s exclusive retailer of both Arizona-based Via Nova handbags and London Youth Design Connection handbags. On its Website, LYDC describes its handbags as ones that ?…[connect] the inspiration of London’s youthful romantic designer with the cosmopolitan lifestyles. It is the handbag that every woman will fall in love [with].?
Eventually, Taylor plans to feature another exclusive line of handbags from Italy.
To further create a sense of uniqueness, Taylor only carries a very limited number of each type of handbag and other items in the store so that customers won’t have to worry about someone else having the same one.
Another specialty item at the boutique are the belt buckles. While Taylor sells buckles adorned with other gemstones like turquoise and topaz, she specializes in belt buckles with rhinestones. What’s more, the buckles can be interchanged with the belts.
The boutique also sells earrings for any formal occasion, such as Homecoming. ‘We sold tons of rhinestone earrings for girls,? Taylor said. ‘That was a big night.?
Going into the shop, one is bound to immediately notice the sharp contrast in the shop’s official colors of black and pink.
‘These are bold but feminine colors,? Taylor explained. ‘They were very popular in the 40s and 50s. Together, they are very attractive to women and they remind them of their feminine side.?
The colors can be seen also in Sofia, Taylor’s black, long-haired Chihuahua who likes to sleep at the shop on her pink dog bed.
The boutique is a small shop, but Taylor feels people will like what they see there. ‘We give people something different, what they won’t find in a department store,? she said. ‘Excellent products at an excellent price. I want customers to feel excited about their purchase and to tell their mothers and girlfriends about the boutique. If I do my job, they’ll be back.?
So far, business has been steadily improving in the three weeks it’s been open.
For Taylor, who lives in Lake Orion, the boutique was home-based for four years.
Finally, she felt the time was right to open up a store. ‘Being next to Lulu’s (salon) works well,? she said. ‘I always felt like this was the right spot to start.?
The Magnolia Lane Boutique is located at 119 South Washington, Suite 3 at the White House Court.
A website is being developed.
For more information, call 248-969-6040. Store hours are Tuesday-Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.