Miriam: Latest Boutique in Affluent Valencia
Valencia, Calif., is a growing town of $1 million homes and seemingly endless housing tracts that is located 34 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Independent retailers have only begun to prospect the town, and Miriam “Mimi” Yacobucci is one of them.
On Feb. 11, the novice entrepreneur opened a 2,000-square-foot contemporaryfashion store, Miriam, at the Westfield Valencia Town Center. With personal savings and a Small Business Administration loan, she bankrolled a boutique that seeks to outfit women ages 25 and older for the office, evenings or merely lying about the house. The store also sells and lends clothes to the wardrobe departments of television shows that film around Valencia such as “Weeds” and “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.”
The most popular-selling items in this new boutique are premium T-shirts and tops designed by Rock 62. The Pompano Beach, Fla.–based label designs tops with graphics of geishas and ninjas. Some are embellished with crystal-like sequins. Retail price points range from $63 to $95.
Premium denim is also a favorite at Miriam. The most popular silhouette is the bootcut jean, and the most popular labels are Denim of Virtue and Joe’s Jeans. Price points for jeans at Miriam range from $100 to $200.
Yacobucci is still getting settled into her new store, which is decorated with a chandelier and dark wood floors. But she is already casting an eye to expansion. Her next project may be a men’s store. —Andrew Asch
