Nestled in the heart of Sunset Place, at 7222 Red Road, is a little piece of fashion heaven.
While the fashion at Monc Boutique is reminiscent of the trendy, chic New York fashion scene, you won’t find the same personalized shopping experience and friendly owners elsewhere.
Smart and savvy, co-owners and sisters Maya and Nayla’s, rich marketing and fashion backgrounds led to the creation of the ultimate designer shopping destination with affordable merchandise. The sleek showroom – basically the closet of our dreams, houses pieces from brands like Ark & Co and Ya.
Nayla and Maya provided us with insight about their their top tips for fashionable students, entrepreneurs, and affordable holiday gifts for friends and family. But, we won’t blame you if you pick up a little treat for yourself!
Distraction: What is your favorite part of picking holiday pieces for the store?
Nayla: We get to pick the fancier dresses like the gold, really reds and the glittery and girly styles. It is the one time of the year you can put dresses out like that.
red dress, Ark & Co
Distraction: Do you have any suggestions for students looking for affordable holiday gifts for friends?
M & N: Small little gift items like jewelry are great. Some people have been coming in and buying dresses since they are a little easier to buy than something like a pant.
Distraction: Do you have any styling tips for fashionable students?
Velvets, pleathers (faux leather), gold, metallic, and red are trending now! Animal prints are also still in.
wine top, Athea; gold and black leggings, The Cla-sic
Distraction: What is unique about satisfying the Miami fashion market?
Maya & Nayla: We are trying to not only be affordable, but be different. You won’t see a lot of the styles here at other boutiques. We have a very NY look which is what Miami needs.
perforated dress, Ark & Co; statement necklace, Nena Fashion Jewelry
Distraction: How do you stay ahead of the competition?
M & N: We travel a lot. We’re traveling every couple months to different places. We see trends in Europe way ahead of us. Our personal life travels have affected the sense of style in the store.
Distraction: Do you have any tips for savvy entrepreneurial students?
Maya: Get experience first. Once you open your own business, you have to invest a lot in the marketing and PR. Simply having a concept that you think is different than others won’t do it. You have to invest time in getting known.
Distraction: It looks like you have a presence on social media, how much of a role does have in marketing your business?
Maya: It has a huge role. Our target customer is the digital customer. We’ve gotten a lot of people through the social media to become loyal customers. We started working on our social media outlets months before we opened to create buzz about store opening.
Distraction: How is it being in business with your sister?
Both: It has its ups and downs. At the end of the day you are sisters, but still business partners.
Excitingly, the store will also be going online by the end of the month. It will be really easy to shop on the website – perfect for a little afternoon study break. The boutique also has a VIP club you can sign up on the website. They send emails with weekly sneak peeks and special discounts only for VIP members. Best of all, it’s free!
words_alyssa jacobson. photos_raquel zaldivar.
