BY JULIE KIRSH
Staff Writer
CHRIS KELLY staff Amy McGovern and Chris Hohenleitner have opened a children’s boutique in Little Silver focused on fine quality, one-of-a-kind clothing and accessories for the younger set. LITTLE SILVER – Everything’s coming up roses – Lulu Rose that is – for Chris Hohenleitner and Amy McGovern, owners of Lulu Rose Children’s Boutique at Little Silver Shops, 82 Oceanport Ave.
The mother-daughter team and lifelong Monmouth County residents opened the chic new shop March 4.
Featuring distinctive children’s clothing and accessories, the 1,000-square-foot Lulu Rose was uniquely named for Chris’ mother and mother-in-law, respectively.
“We wanted the name to be catchy, but also wanted it to be sentimental,” said Amy.
The boutique is open Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m.- 6 p.m., and Thursday from 10 a.m.-8 p.m.
The shop specializes in children’s clothing from layette to size 8, with limited items up to size 14, as well as books, toys, educational games, costume jewelry and gifts.
“Most of the items are very traditional; we’re not a flamboyant store with sequined clothes,” said Hohenleitner, of Atlantic Highlands. Their emphasis on tradition explains the duo’s decision to carry the new line, Poppylarity, which are one-of-a-kind handmade outfits created from vintage tablecloths.
Lulu Rose’s customers have told McGovern and her mother that they find items at the boutique they could find only in Manhattan before.
“I purposely buy from a lot of California-based companies and companies from New York City to get one-of-a-kind items,” said McGovern, of West Allenhurst.
Hot at the boutique right now are Urban Smalls infant onesies and T-shirts for boys and girls with fun sayings such as “Chicks dig me,” and “My dad’s a geek” and Flap Happy bathing suits and hats for boys and girls. Arriving for summer will be Skinz – clothing which offers built-in UV protection.
Hohenleitner’s and McGovern’s idea for a children’s boutique came about, oddly enough, in a swimming pool:
“Talk about impulsive – we got the idea while floating in our swimming pool last summer,” explained Hohenleitner.
“My father asked us what kind of business would make us happy,” recalled McGovern, and the idea of the children’s shop was born.
Burned out with a grueling daily commute to her job in Parsippany over the past seven years, Hohenleitner decided it was time for a change and her husband urged her to try something new. She was a supervisor at an insurance firm and before that, a registered nurse by trade.
“It was just something we both wanted and we both took a shot at,” she explained of the boutique launch.
McGovern echoed this sentiment when asked what her impetus was for the shop:
“It was something I’ve always been interested in, and I enjoy shopping for children’s clothes. It’s just something I wanted to do,” she said.
A flight attendant for the past seven years, an energetic McGovern presently has both feet firmly planted on the ground as she’s four months pregnant.
She will continue working as an attendant and at the boutique after her baby is born.
“It’s very easy to be a flight attendant and have a second job,” she said.
Hohenleitner said she and her daughter are of the same mind when it comes to buying styles:
“We see eye-to-eye 90 percent [of the time] on the items we choose, but sometimes you have to have a younger eye for some items,” she said.
“She’s kind of the grandmother eye and I give the young mother eye, and my sister gives the New York fashion eye,” explained McGovern, referring to her sister, Lori, who works as a mortgage broker.
The mother and daughter said they chose the Little Silver location because they felt it was a destination location and the area could support a children’s boutique.
Prices at the boutique range from $4.50 for girls’ hair bows, of which there is a vast variety, to $300 for special occasion dresses. Items range from small gifts to christening and First Communion outfits, and birthday dresses. Bestsellers are California-based The Tea Collection line, Sarah Louise for girls, the colorful Zutano collection for infants and children and Wonder Boy and K Kauff-men for boys.
“It’s very high quality but well-priced fashion for children,” said Hohenleitner.
The women also try to buy locally and will soon carry custom-made barrettes created by a Rumson resident.
One of the most popular lines at the moment is Acting Out created by two women from Wayside in Ocean Township. The line features ballerina skirts and dresses that contain a musical chip.
Although running a children’s boutique can be hectic, Hohenleitner and McGovern have tried to alleviate some of the stress for parents by installing a coloring table so small children can color while parents shop.
“We wanted the customers to have a relaxed shopping experience,” explained McGovern .
While the boutique is child-friendly, its interiors are far from childish and exude refinement, with three glass chandeliers, wall-to-wall carpet and sage-green walls.
The women are quite the philanthropic duo and carry The Tea Collection’s onesies and T-shirts, which benefit the Global Fund for Children, with 100 percent of profits donated to an African village. The items are printed with the logo “For little citizens of the world.”
“Every dime spent on this line goes directly to this fund. My mother and I feel it’s very important to give back to the community and the world,” McGovern said.
As for the future of Lulu Rose, the women are optimistic.
“We hope the ‘little citizens of the world’ will become future customers.”
The boutique’s Web site, lulurosekids.com, will be up on the Internet within the next few weeks.