Lady Pink opened mid-April in the former Anomaly Design Shop at 816 E. Brady St., but you certainly don't need this article to know that it has arrived. The façade is freshly painted in fuchsia and rose, and inside, the clothing collection squeals with flirty femininity.
Owner Shakkiah Curtis, the stylish one you'll find behind the counter, says she wanted to start off with a predominantly pink palette to establish the shop's girlie nature, but promises that she'll start to incorporate other hues throughout the season.
"But the pink definitely brings people in," she says.
Lady Pink is the sister store to the new Enigma's Closet, 3475 N. Oakland Ave., where, yes, Shakkiah's sister Kendra Williams runs her clothing boutique.
The two stores share the common sibling characteristics -- similar enough to see the connection, yet unique enough to highlight their independent spirit. While Lady Pink is awash in the latest trends and colors, Enigma's Closet features custom and one-of-a-kind, handcrafted items, many of which are made by local designers.
Williams, who graduated from Mount Mary with a degree in fashion design, also sells her own designs there and offers style consultations and alterations.
"(Williams) is a designer," says Curtis. "Her love is creativity and art, and I'm more into fashion and accessories, so we decided to do this together, but in our own separate boutiques."
Entering Lady Pink, you're greeted with well-designed racks ranging from summer dresses, cute tops to denim, including a plus-size section. But one of Curtis's biggest loves is accessories, so the rear of her store is dedicated to a lovely assortment of earrings, bracelets, hats, scarves and purses by several Milwaukee designers like Paris, Chica Chic, Miss B and Stephanie.
Curtis and Williams are teaming up for a couple fashion events in May, as both women are in search of new faces for their boutiques. They host a May 8 fashion show at MOCT and a May 15 show at Decibel with 18 models and more than 40 looks from both Lady Pink and Enigma's Closet.
OnMilwaukee.com staff writer Julie Lawrence grew up in Wauwatosa and has lived her whole life in the Milwaukee area.
As any “word nerd” can attest, you never know when inspiration will strike, so from a very early age Julie has rarely been seen sans pen and little notebook. At the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee it seemed only natural that she major in journalism. When OnMilwaukee.com offered her an avenue to combine her writing and the city she knows and loves in late 2004, she knew it was meant to be. Around the office, she answers to a plethora of nicknames, including “Lar,” (short for “Larry,” which is short for “Lawrence”) as well as the mysteriously-sourced “Bill Murray.”
