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This year, BOUTIQUETOGO celebrates ten years of business and remains nestled on 19th Street in the West Theatre District of Allentown. Initially, Elena Pascal launched her business in the form of a traveling boutique, selling to attendees at medical conventions across the eastern United States. With these sales, Pascal donated thousands of dollars to medical society foundations that would help fund education for medical and nursing students. She also opened her own boutique. The premise was that she would sell fine American-made designer accessories, bags, jewelry and gifts created by young, up-and-coming fashion talent budding from New York and California. Pascal has stayed true to that concept, and BOUTIQUETOGO continues to sell some of the very best American-made designs around.
What would you say is the perfect occasion for someone to enter your shop for the very first time?
We are proud to offer fashion for any occasion. Our apparel moves effortlessly around the clock. We offer apparel and accessories that can be worn casually, but we also offer fashion for the workplace and for the evening. We offer high-end design and unique apparel at affordable prices, with our customer always part of the fashion equation.
Tell us about some of the major brands available at the boutique.
We offer two major fashion lines: Nicole Miller and Rebecca Minkoff. We showcase Rebecca Minkoff apparel, bags and shoes in the store, and this year, we were proud to introduce Nicole Miller apparel.
Our store is also proud to feature apparel from Nvelop, Lola and Sophie, Acrobat, Lisette L, Minnie Rose, Mycra Pac, Ecru, Lysse and Peace of Cloth, as well as handbags by MZ Wallace, LAGGO, Hammitt, Kooba, Loeffler Randall, Zac Posen, Elizabeth and James, Etienne Aigner, HEIRLOOM, Botkier and more.
Our jewelry is on trend with designs by Alexis Bittar, Tat2 Designs, Myrna Halpern, ÉVOCATEUR, Hipchik, BuJu and Chan Luu. Scarves and wraps are by Missoni, INA and Yarnz.
How do you stay up to date on fashion to make sure your merchandise is always on trend?
I am blessed to have an amazing store manager and friend who has been my right hand for over ten years: Lisa Iacocca Shoenberger. Lisa ran the JH Collectibles showroom in New York before moving to Allentown to raise a family. We both love accessories, but her eye for style and fit is renowned. When we branched into apparel, she was in her milieu.
We go to New York on buying trips at least eight times a year. Those trips are jam-packed because we spend our time always searching. We work showrooms to look for the newest designers. Our customers appreciate us because we seem to find must-have fashions before they are even a whisper in other stores.
Is there a particular item that continuously flies off the shelves?
Our best-selling items have always been our bags. Most are made or designed in America—we have found those bags have the best quality. However, we do carry amazing leather bags from Italy and Israel. We are careful to showcase our designers by offering several bag styles, but only buying one bag per style, unless we are accommodating a special order.
How do you assist customers that are shopping for that perfect gift?
Our customers are our friends and many patronize our boutique on a regular basis. We know who they are, and, on buying trips, we actually shop for each of them individually. We also offer the finest layette and apparel for babies and toddlers in our step-up BOUTIQUETOGO BABY. Of course, everyone loves a BOUTIQUETOGO gift card.
What is an item that one might be surprised to find in your shop?
We carry not only clothes for babies and toddlers, but also home scents by NEST fragrances, including diffusers, luxurious candles and soaps.
What sort of specials and events do you host throughout the year?
We are a destination venue, with weekly events. Most importantly, BOUTIQUETOGO has become a place for our customers to network. On any given afternoon, our black table in the rear of our boutique is filled with interesting women exchanging ideas and having a good time.
At least once a month, we feature a trunk show of new merchandise from our vendors or vendors who seek to introduce new fashion design to the Lehigh Valley. We always have a sale on our merchandise.
We play BINGO in the boutique every six weeks and give away merchandise and gift cards as prizes. All of our events require an RSVP.
522 N. 19th St., Allentown | 610.437.1663 | boutiquetogo.com
