The Aura Test
Feminine, contemporary fashions have ruled the boutiques of Santa Monica’s Montana Avenue for the past two decades. Yet Kristin Eberts wanted to find out how far she could push the limits of feminine fashion and price points at her boutique, Aura. More than seven months after she opened her store at 1528 Montana Ave., she found out that she could push the envelope very far, indeed.
When the boutique debuted on Aug. 16, Eberts stocked her store with a mix of merchandise that included both designer fashions with a high price point, such as Zac Posen and Y&K, as well as more-casual T-shirts and dresses, which retailed from $50 to $200. Nearly one year later, she continues to sell casual clothes, but she has found that her customers prefer to spend extra for high-end feminine fashions.
One of the best-selling feminine fashions at Aura is the “Wave” blouse, produced by New York wunderkind designer Zac Posen. A representative for Aura called the blouse an “investment.” The highly stylized, layered blouse, which retails for $897 and is offered in pink champagne and slate blue colors, reportedly sold out in a few days.
The interest in high-end clothing made Eberts feel that she could confidently take a few more steps toward pricier, feminine clothing. Aura recently started offering red-carpet gowns by eveningwear label Marchesa.
Other retailers confirmed that high prices are no stranger to Montana. “If there’s a place on the Westside where women expect to spend money, it’s Montana,” said Kristi Jansma, a sales associate for the Leona Edmiston boutique, located at 1007 Montana Ave. She estimated women typically spend more than $500 on a single visit to the street.
Aura also will embark on a growth spurt. In March, it debuted an e-commerce boutique (www.auraboutique.com) and partnered with the personal-shopping service The Luxe Look, based in West Hollywood, Calif.
For fall, Eberts has promised to open Little Aura, a children’s clothing store, which also will be located on Montana Avenue. The boutique will specialize in the New York–based label Bu and the Duck. Price points are expected to range from $20 to $300. —Andrew Asch
