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| An alternative to a high-end fashion boutique sprung up in Prairie Village near the end of last year. Though Her Majesty’s Closet consignment store set up shop during rough economic times, the owners say they don’t see value as a passing fad. Inspired by pop-up designer shops on the East coast and designer boutiques on the West coast, Her Majesty’s Closet carries clothing lines such as Bill Blass, Geoffrey Beene, Nina Ricci, Pauline Trigère, Yves Saint Laurent, Chanel, Prada, Manolo Blahnik, Gucci, Christian Louboutin, and more. Co-owners Ann Brownfield and Barb Bloch have years of fashion industry experience between them. The two women once sold the Bill Blass line together, and they are each former regional directors of the Kansas City chapter of Fashion Group International. Ann, a former clothing designer and head of the Kansas City Garment District Museum, says the consignment retail shop allows them to use their background to do their part in going green. It is also just a good next step. Barb agrees. “I’ve spent so many years on the manufacturing and recruiting side of the business,” Barb says. “It just felt like the right time to try retailing.” While growing up, Barb’s family worked in the ladies’ coat and suit industry. Though she had dreamed when she was a young girl of owning her own retail store, she would later manufacture clothes. Now her dream has come true. “We’ve been very involved with the fashion industry in the Kansas City area,” Barb shares. “We just put our heads together and said we wanted to do something fun and exciting and different, and with our backgrounds, bring that to Kansas City to give stylish women a different experience.” As soon as they decided to open up shop, it took less than a week for Ann and Barb to find the perfect space nestled in the heart of Corinth Square. Then they revamped the space and started taking in clothes. While I was visiting for the interview in mid-January, the two women were busy pricing spring clothes and getting ready to make the switch from fur coats and heavy pantsuits to lighter items in more vibrant colors. Monday is the day women are asked to bring in clothes to sell, although Barb and Ann will make appointments for women who are unable to make it on that day. “The reason we love this business so much is because we love meeting everybody and hearing about the history and the stories that the garments tell,” explains Barb as seller Jodi Vander Woude lugged in a large wicker basket full of designer stilettos, jackets, and purses. Jodi, a photographer and former senior designer and producer for Playboy magazine, recently moved to Kansas City. She says she sorted through her old wardrobe for items to sell at Her Majesty’s Closet as soon as she learned about the store. She brings in limited-run styles from obscure designers that models wore in photo shoots, as well as her own items that she wore to events. As Barb continued to pull shoe after shoe out of Jodi’s basket during my visit, Jodi wandered through the small store and occasionally commented on a purse or blouse she liked. “I have to close my eyes today,” she says, sighing. (She is hoping to buy more equipment with the money she earns from her shoes.) Another woman came in to sell her clothes as soon as Jodi left. “As you can see, Mondays are a little crazy but it’s so fun,” says Barb. On this particular day, Ann and Barb were accepting everything that was brought in. They planned to later sort through the inventory to price the keepers and nix the rejects. They don’t take everything that comes in; if they can’t get it cleaned up, they reject the item. “Those shoes from Jodi are trouble,” Barb shares. “I’ve told everybody it’s been so great doing this store because I had no shoes in my size here that I could drool over, and now she brings in all of these shoes!” Barb and Ann have hosted trunk shows and cocktail parties at Her Majesty’s Closet as a way to introduce the store to women. Barb admits that it’s tough to find women who fit into their niche demographic. “Either people get it or they don’t,” she says about the high-end designer industry. “Not everybody is our customer of course, but the people that get it know that we add value, and the people that don’t get it are appalled at the prices. Some people come in here and would never believe that I could get $1,200 for a bag. If you were to buy that new it could be maybe $7,000 to $8,000. If you keep up with high fashion and you know what the bag is, it’s a steal.” Her Majesty’s Closet is really about offering women high-quality pieces that will last a lifetime, Barb says. The store’s inventory includes a blend of everyday clothing, evening clothes, and classic pieces that will always be in style, as well as trendy statement items. “We have a lot of unique, one-of-a-kind pieces that have amazing stories,” she explains. “When you touch the fine fabric and you open up one of the garments and you see how well-constructed they are, and then you go into other stores and you see how poorly the garments are made and how much money they get for those items, we are such a deal.” Barb says she has heard nothing but compliments from clients who have shopped at designer boutique stores on the East and West coasts. “They think this concept is a no-brainer,” she says. Other customers can hardly believe it’s a consignment store when they walk in the door, often commenting to Barb and Ann that the merchandise doesn’t even look used. Though Barb realizes that not everyone who walks into the store will walk out a new customer, she still greets each person with kindness, she shares. She hopes to offer everybody a fun and positive experience while they’re at Her Majesty’s Closet. Maybe that person can’t give a garment a new home herself, but she might know somebody else who can. Her Majesty’s Closet is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. For more information about the shop, upcoming events, and more, visit www.hermajestysclosetltd.com or call 913-341-7774. The shop is located at 4113 W. 83rd St. |
Guilt-free indulgence at Her Majesty’s Closet |
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