Shopping Takes a Holiday
Jessika Pavlic and Rebekah Rafalski opened the Holiday boutique in September 2002 at Beacon Hill, a bustling pedestrian neighborhood in their hometown of Boston. The area is one of the city’s most exclusive, claiming residents such as 2004 Democratic presidential hopeful John Kerry.
Rafalski and Pavlic took the operation west in May 2004, opening up shop in a Los Angeles neighborhood very different from the busy and patrician Beacon Hill. They opened their 800-square-foot boutique at 310 N. Flores St., just off a stretch of Beverly Boulevard and sandwiched between the Beverly Center and Fairfax Avenue. The street is home to few fashion retailers, and almost nobody gets out of their cars to window shop.
But many women do find their way to Holiday to shop for everything from footwear to tank tops to cocktail dresses. The partners’ strategy in making the boutique a destination was simple retail savvy: Offer labels few neighboring retailers stock and create an inviting atmosphere.
The boutique specializes in New York and European designers, including England’s Frost French and France’s Paul & Joe. Last week’s best-selling item was a 100 percent cotton gaucho pant by New York’s Lauren Moffatt ($212). A drop-yoke waistband outlined by gold-colored beads tops off the sheer material of the gauchos. The pants, which end just below the knee, offer something for every woman, according to Rafalski.
“They’re intended to be loose,” she said. “But it can also be snug. They’re comfortable. [They’re] the perfect summer pants.” —Andrew Asch
