Shop Around // Ossie Boutique

The weather was on the verge of a downpour the first time I stepped into months-old Hyde Park shop Ossie Boutique. I’d been suspiciously eyeing the navy blue clouds overhead when an aMAHzing gold metallic vest called out to me as I passed by the window. I knew I had to find out more.

The shop, co-owned by Meredith Borchers and her mother, gets its name from fashion designer Ossie Clark, whose presence and aesthetic they admire. “He went bankrupt because he loved his craft,” notes Meredith, who cites his passion for style and influence on other designers as inspiration for the boutique.

While the shop carries lines like Anna Sui, Pam & Gela (the team behind soon-to-make-a-comeback Juicy sweatsuits), Jenni Kayne, Illesteva, and Christine Alcalay, the Ossie team’s buying strategy is about design and quality as opposed hype. “We’re not focusing on a big name,” says Meredith. “People come to us to find something really special.”

As for what Ossie shoppers will find in store for Fall?

“Expect lots of leather,” laughs Meredith, “and good ‘elevated essentials’,” including everything from classic tees and bomber jackets to the cropped flares and prairie-inspired dresses currently beloved by street style stars. “There are lots of things you can wear in different ways,” she explains, which is good news for those of us who need multi-functional wardrobes that go from the office to the after party.

Meredith is looking forward to Ossie’s first holiday season to see how things go before making any big changes, but the shop is more than a cool day gig.

“This isn’t just a business for us,” says Meredith, noting that the boutique has brought her and her mom closer. “It’s a passion project.”

Here’s to a mutual passion for fashion.

Ossie Boutique, 3433 Edwards Road in Hyde Park, ossieboutique.com