In 2022, when artist Caroline Hearn moved from New York City back to her hometown of Baltimore, she and her interior designer mom, Karin Chriss, thought about combining their talents to open a gift shop. When they noticed an empty storefront in the same historic “mall” that houses Petit Louis Bistro, they leapt at the chance to move into the nation’s oldest strip center.

The result of their vision is The Pig & the Parrot, which opened its doors last October.

The designing duo have quite the pedigree: Chriss did design work for boutique hotels across the country, and then had a longtime wholesale handbag business; Hearn, a graduate of New York City’s famed Parsons School of Design, created showroom design for the Ralph Lauren store in Manhattan. She also does watercolor portraits and landscapes for the furnishings décor platform Serena & Lily. The partnership is an idea made in creative heaven.

“My mom is very good at putting home décor things together and curating beautiful vignettes,” says Hearn. “And I’m an artist and wanted a place to showcase my artwork in a space that wasn’t a gallery, where my art could be approachable and play with the interior space. We came up with this idea of the store to use as an avenue to showcase my artwork.”

Beginning with the logo—a parrot balancing on the tip of a pig’s nose—the shop couldn’t be cuter. Here, you’ll find a unique mix of curated home goods, accessories, antiques, and jewelry including Freya Rose earrings from London (Kate Middleton is a fan).

Of course, The Pig & the Parrot also features a collection of Hearn’s lush landscapes and seascapes on the walls.

“My husband and I have collected pigs for 45 years,” says Chriss, explaining the inspiration behind the store’s moniker. “I’ve always given him a pig Christmas tree ornament, so I knew I wanted to use an animal in the name. When Caroline was designing the logo, I said, ‘Why don’t we do something whimsical with the pig?’”

Hearn loved the idea and was further inspired by the mechanical parrot her grandmother had in her house. In fact, the logo sums up the shop. Says Chriss, “It’s kind of like our store, an unlikely combination of fun and fanciful and whimsical.”

In addition to getting to spend more time with each other, the mother-daughter team gets to see Chriss’ son, who works right next door at Eddie Jacobs, the men’s clothing shop.

“He’s worked there every Saturday for the past 12 years,” says Hearn with a laugh. “On Saturdays, I feel like we own the block.”

Tortuga owner Julie Bent has lived a thousand lives since graduating from college with a degree in visual arts in 2000.

“I think parents get nervous about their kids going to art school, but one of my professors explained that you learn so much about yourself and how to express ideas and how to defend ideas,” says Bent. “Anyone who comes to art school could leave and go on to do anything.”

Bent proved that time and time again, first with a job in graphic design at a design firm just outside Washington, D.C. “It was related to my field…but with health insurance,” she says with a laugh. She came to realize that she actually liked juggling multiple projects.

“Every project was new and different, and then we’d be shifting to the next project,” she says.

Then, two things happened: Thanks to a co-worker, she met her husband, Max. And she took a two-week book designing class in Venice through the Corcoran School of the Arts and Design. Inspired by all the textiles and colors in Italy, she says, “It woke up the artist in me.” When Bent returned home, she realized she wasn’t tapping into her full creative potential at work and left the company within a few months.

By April 2006, Bent and Max married and within four months moved to Baltimore.

“I’m so glad we did,” says Bent. “Gosh—we were just trusting something.”

They landed in Waverly in 2006 and were able to collectively catch their breath. Bent started doing some dyeing and screen printing of goods and selling them at HonFest while dabbling in freelance design to pay the bills. Max was working as a teacher and producing music.

“We were able to find our creative sides again,” says Bent. “D.C. was more hustle and influence and stimulation and pressure. Once we got to Baltimore people were a lot more balanced and doing what they love, whether it was music or art.”

For Bent, that meant enrolling in Baltimore City Community College’s fashion design program. While there, she learned draping and pattern-making and spent hours hunched over an industrial sewing machine perfecting her craft.

“It’s a secret gem of a program,” says Bent. She spent two years “unlocking a lot of my creative side” and being inspired by the fashions of the 1920s—but with her own minimalistic spin. She created shift dresses, asymmetrical hems, color blocking, cool cut-outs, playing with fabric combos and intimately learning about the shapes and angles of the body.

During school, Bent worked part-time at the popular Hampden boutique Shine Collective and produced her first collection. After graduation, she approached fellow creative, Aimee Bracken, who owned Form Boutique, about doing a collection together. The private label “Form” was a collaboration between them.

“It was my minimalist, streamlined mindset and knowledge of how to make it happen and her knowledge of customers and aesthetic, which was a little more tailored and structured with little feminine details,” says Bent. Within weeks, the hybridized collection sold out. And while Bent was interested in continuing her design work, the fashion industry is complicated. “It’s challenging to do fashion not on a large scale,” she says. Smaller batches meant more upfront cost and risk—something she wasn’t ready for.

So, encouraged by friends to become a wardrobe stylist within the film/television industry, she pivoted once again.

“It was a great fit,” says Bent. They’d tell her, “Here’s what you’ve got to go find…now go figure out how to make it happen.”

Initially, she worked on commercials for the Maryland Lottery, M&T Bank, and Verizon. Later, as more projects opened, she joined the film industry union including Netflix’s House of Cards, which spent five seasons filming in Baltimore. She then worked on Veep, a political satire that aired on HBO—spending a few days a week on set and more time in the costume office shopping, returning, unpacking, tallying, and doing inventory.

When large-scale movies would film in D.C.—like On the Basis of Sex, based on the life of Ruth Bader Ginsburg—Bent would often head up a Baltimore team. There was a point where she could have pushed forward in the film industry and made it a life-long career, but she knew it was almost impossible to create a healthy work/life balance.

Instead, Bent realized she could take all her favorite things from each chapter of her life—graphic design, fashion design, movie wardrobe styling—and start something new.

In 2014, Bent and Max moved from Waverly to Hamilton-Lauraville. She would pass empty storefronts as she made her way from her home on Southern Avenue to Zeke’s Coffee café. Slowly, businesses started creeping up Harford Road closer to her house.

“I could feel this shift in momentum here,” says Bent. When Zeke’s moved to their current retail shop in the 4700 block of Harford, Bent knew it was time to make the leap. “I felt this buzz going on here. I didn’t have anything together except I knew I wanted to have a store.”

An abandoned Nationwide insurance building a few storefronts down from Zeke’s—which once housed Maryland State Senator Cory McCray’s campaign office—seemed like it could work.

Bent started with a holiday pop-up shop in December 2018. She filled her vintage camper—in the parking lot behind the building—with jewelry and a few pieces of ceramic and was delighted at the reaction. She called her shop Tortuga—the Spanish world for turtle.

“There’s a lot of symbology behind the turtle,” explains Bent. Turtles are known for their longevity, for being wise, and are also seen as a protector of Mother Earth. She also loved that they carry their home on their back. “Turtles are self-contained,” a trait we can all learn from, says Bent. “The more we become connected with ourselves the better we can reflect all that stuff on the outside.” Her brick-and-mortar shop opened in October 2019.

“I don’t love the term lifestyle store,” she admits. “I usually call it a curated shop of independent designers.” She loves to curate jewelry and home goods and has been getting more into wellness: “Everything you’re putting in and on your body,” she explains. That last part she feels most strongly about.

“I’m really disciplined about researching my brands and deciding if they meet all my parameters of materials and quality and manufacturing,” she says. “Who is making them, will they last a long time, and are these people innovative?”

The light-filled corner shop is simple, clean, and beautiful. There are plants and crisp white walls, so as not to compete with the products that range from jewelry to wellness items (incense cones, aromatics, herbal remedies), bags and wallets, candles, and textiles.

The shop closed during the pandemic for four months and Bent adapted once again, quickly opening an online resource for her shoppers. She also took time to refocus on what was important. She add- ed more home goods, like blankets and pottery, and upped her wellness game. “I love how it’s taking shape,” she says. “It feels a lot more well-rounded.”

Now just past Tortuga’s second birthday, Bent is looking to expand her shop’s reach both with her customers and her suppliers. In both cases it’s about sharing the journey of the shop. “I want to dig deeper into my ‘why’ and show more of that on a larger scale,” says Bent. When someone picks up an item in her shop, she wants them to understand the why behind the price—“it’s because of the materials that were used, because of the person that spent time making it, and because that person is becoming a business.”

As Bent walks back into her shop on a brilliant fall afternoon, Dolly Parton’s voice drifts from the outdoor speakers at the Wax Atlas Record and Stereo Exchange across the street. The sun is shining, neighbors wave hello, and she dreams of one day hitting the road to connect with her makers and designers scattered throughout the country. But for now, Bent is focused on the city and introducing more people to her business.

“People generalize about what Baltimore is or isn’t, but there are so many dynamic people here,” says Bent. “For me, it’s about connecting the dots to the people who really are going to get Tortuga right away and value it and appreciate it.”

In 2003, Holly and Jeff Kaufman, the owners of Great Sage and The Roots Market, added yet another ethically sourced business to Conscious Corner—their eco-friendly retail cluster in Clarksville. Throughout the years, earth-friendly clothing and gift shop Nest Natural Home has offered a cozy environment for consumers to learn about eco-friendly, vegan, and fair trade products. At the female-run boutique, every item has a story. In fact, many of the pieces are handpicked creations by female, local, and small-batch artists. “We’re really excited that people are shopping with consciousness, care, and concern,” says manager and buyer Jenny Glazier.

We chatted with Glazier and assistant manager and buyer Tanya Zirbel to learn more about Nest’s products, packaging, and sustainable mantra.

What makes your product line unique?
Tanya Zirbel: Everything here is ethically sourced, and the energy that is in each piece is the positive energy coming from all our different artists. People feel that when they come into the store. So they are consuming, but they also come to be in a space where they can see beautiful handmade items—and where they know they’re making a difference with their purchases.

What is your favorite item currently in the store?
Jenny Glazier: We’re a lifestyle store, so that’s a hard question because we have everything from organic cotton wraps, to wooden bowls that you can display in your home, to clothing, to baby items. We also have some beautiful olive wood pieces for around the house and wooden cutting boards. We handpick everything, so I can say there’s love in every single piece in the store.

How does packaging play a role in your sustainable mission?
JG: We do love to gift wrap here, but it’s all recyclable material. Most of the companies that we work with are sustainable, so anything that comes in is usually recyclable. They’re on the same idea path as we are.

What’s one thing no home is complete without?
JG: Some of our soy-based vegetable oil candles are incredible, and they just make for such a nurturing environment. Our incense are also very warm and loving. I guess that’s a big one because a lot of people come in, and the first thing they say is, “It smells so good in here!” To have your home smell beautiful and know it’s ethically sourced is pretty nice.

What’s one thing no outfit is complete without?
JG: Some of our organic cotton basics.

TZ: Our main clothing lines are Toad and Co. and Prana, and they are major players in the sustainable clothing movement. They used to focus on was more activewear, but they’re transitioning to stylish pieces that are also ethically sourced. No outfit is really complete without a sustainable piece that makes you feel good about what you’re wearing.

Is there a motto that you live by?
TZ: Something we’ve been talking about amongst ourselves lately, is how a lot of people are coming here to find some joy. So, just living in your joy and doing what you can to live consciously.

What upcoming events can shoppers look forward to at Nest?
JG: We are having our annual Vegan Fest on July 20. There will be two local authors here that day. One [Rebecca Gilbert] has a beginner’s guide to becoming vegan, and the other [Rissa Miller], is an amazing animal advocate and poet. She’s going to be here doing a poetry reading from her book Vegan Tales. The Vegan Fest is going to be a huge event, not just with book signings, but also with trunk shows and a guided meditation.

As female managers, what message do you have for young female entrepreneurs?
JG: I have a 17-year-old daughter, and I really think that at this point we’re learning from them. We need to take a step back and listen, because they have a lot of important things to say.

TZ: Right now, women are all about supporting women. We had a get-together with some folks that are friends of the store, and we realized there were five decades of women around us at one point. So, it’s just about sharing knowledge up and down and across in different areas. Finding women who you feel comfortable with and support you in all of your endeavors is important.

Amanda Valderas remembers the day she decided to follow her dream of owning her own boutique. She had been working
in human resources for a little more than six years but felt restless.

“I’ve always loved fashion and was the go-to girl in my friend group for advice on clothing or where to find cheaper versions of things,” says Valderas. “But I never worked retail, I was always the consumer, so I never thought owning my own store would really happen.”

After talking with her mom and her husband, Joe, she decided to write up a business plan and take the leap. Many long nights later, Arrow Clothing was born in December of 2017, offering affordable—most items are under $50—contemporary women’s clothing and accessories.

What makes Arrow Clothing unique is its business model. The store is online-only, relying heavily on social media to spread the word. Valderas, who has always preferred online shopping, saw a need in the market for convenience with a local feel and a more personal touch.

“We call it a hybrid model: We are mainly online but also give people the in-store experience through our social media content, pop-ups, and events,” she says. Valderas stays connected to her clientele by doing online try-on sessions where she is able to walk her customers through each item in her store, allowing them to see how a product fits or looks on someone else before purchasing.

“When I first started doing my try-on sessions, I would hear Joe listening to them in the house, and I would hear my voice and think, ‘No one is going to want to watch these,’” laughs Valderas. But in fact, these videos are the thing that has allowed customers to develop trust with the brand and keeps them coming back for more.

While online customers can look forward to new arrivals each month, local Arrow shoppers can look out for events and pop-ups at nearby venues such as Anthem House apartments and The Charles in Federal Hill. Follow Arrow Clothing on Instagram for details on their spring launch party happening this month.

Attn: Ladies of Baltimore County. You will be soon getting a new very stylish neighbor. Women’s contemporary boutique Sassanova will be joining the already impressive list of local retailers at Green Spring Station this spring.

The store, which will be taking over the current Becket Hitch space (not to worry, Becket Hitch will be moving into the old Trillium location) is set to begin its buildout in March. Owner Angela Tandy has been working diligently with local architect Dawn Sangley of Spry Design to create the perfect space for her customers.

“We’ve done lots of pop-up shops in the county and were always asked when we would open a store here,” says Tandy. “I am just so excited to be at Green Spring Station and to be surrounded by all of these other amazing independent local retailers.”

Tandy bought Sassanova from its previous owners in 2015, and since has added more apparel and accessories to the vast shoe selection, for which the store was known. This will be the store’s third location, with other stores in Harbor East and Bethesda, and will carry all of your favorite styles from brands like Shoshanna, Trina Turk, Frame, and Amanda Uprichard.

Follow Sassanova on Instagram for more info on the store opening.

Brianna Volatile started her lifestyle blog, The Brunette’s Diary, while she was still in high school. What began as a creative outlet for the young fashionista blossomed into a platform where she could connect with her devoted readership as well as the brands she loves.

Volatile’s aesthetic became shop-able with the opening of Simple & Feminine, a brick and mortar boutique as well as an online store. We caught up with the young entrepreneur to discuss her process, favorite things, and the future of Simple & Feminine.

What was your inspiration for opening a boutique?

I’ve always loved photography, fashion, and beauty, and the blog was my creative outlet. It started getting traction about three years ago and brands started to contact me, and we would work together on partnerships. I’ve worked with big brands like MTV, Maybelline, Coach, and Express, but I also worked with a lot of smaller boutiques.

With those smaller stores, I noticed when I would post their pieces or do a collaboration with them that I would sell out of it—often it would be gone that same day. I thought, why not have a place where I can highlight the brands I love, that my readers have already interacted with through my blog? So, I opened Simple & Feminine in January of this year.

You’re not originally from Baltimore. What brought you to the city?
I’m from Howard County, and my original location was in Ellicott City. I had been there for five months, and then in May of this year it flooded. I had to figure out where to go next. Baltimore City has so many cool small businesses and is very fashion forward. Plus, the majority of our following is Baltimore-based.

I reached out to a bunch of different places, and Harbor East took me in. They had a pop-up location available, which is where Simple & Feminine will be until February of next year. I’m working on scouting the perfect permanent location, hoping to stay in Harbor East. They’ve been so welcoming to me.

What was the inspiration for the name Simple & Feminine?

I love all things simple, with a feminine twist. I love my pinks, my blush pinks, and my grays. I carry pieces that you can wear more than one time. I like to be able to give my shoppers something they can wear a few different ways, multiple times, not just something to wear out once and then retire.

What are kinds of styles can people expect to find here?

A lot of the pieces that I have are boho chic, and a lot of fun denim. We are known for our beauty products as well. A lot of the brands I carry are women-owned, whether that be beauty products, fashion, or gifts. I hand-select every single piece myself, with the goal that everything in the shop has a unique story behind it. I like to be able to support other small businesses with the brands I choose to highlight in the shop.

You have such a well-curated selection. How do you know what will be the right fit for your customers?

Sometimes businesses will guess what their customers want, whereas I will straight up ask. When I’m on buying trips in New York, I’ll use Instagram stories and polls to find out what my followers like best. Half the time, those items sell out within an hour, because my customers have been with me through the whole process of buying it, selecting colors, and then getting it in stock.

What are your current favorite fashion and beauty trends?

I love the big furry jackets that are really in right now. Leopard has also made a comeback—we had an amazing leopard cardigan that sold out in a day, which I loved. But I also love timeless pieces—denim jackets and leather jackets—those things that never go out of style. As far as beauty trends go, I love the jade roller. We have tons of beauty products, but I love that it’s a tool that anyone can use, no matter their age or skin type, and you can keep it forever.

What’s it like running a business with your mom?

My mom is more behind the scenes, but she is my partner in crime. She’s been going to New York with me for years when I would do blog collaborations, and she was always asking, “So, what’s next?” She has definitely helped with the vision of the brand, and she comes with me on all my buying trips.

Being in Harbor East, you’re right up against so many big name stores. Was that intimidating or exciting when you signed your lease?

Very exciting. I think that it’s an honor to be on the same street as these huge fashion brands. Walking down the street, you read, “Free People, Anthropologie, Simple & Feminine,” and that’s a real dream come true. I don’t see it as competition—I don’t know anyone who only shops at one store. Harbor East is a shopping destination, and I’m really happy to be here.

What sets your boutique apart?

When my customers come in, I want to provide them with the best shopping experience. I walk them through the store and help them find something they’ll love. I try to bring in brands that people haven’t necessarily heard of yet, and it’s all stuff that I love and use myself.

Before I buy a whole collection of something, I’ll buy it myself personally and wear it, wash it, work out in it, all to make sure it’s a great fit. It’s me running it all. Simple & Feminine is my baby and I think that’s what sets me apart from the bigger brands and stores.

Online clothing shopping may be convenient, but getting the right fit is the eternal struggle—especially if you wear an atypical size. That’s why when Alex Dekowski opened her contemporary women’s boutique, Hello Addie, in Federal Hill this past summer, she decided to offer complimentary alterations to her customers.

“We do our best to find brands that fit most people, but everyone’s bodies are so different, and we really want anyone who comes in to be able to find something in the store that makes them feel comfortable and confident,” says Dekowski. “Shopping can be miserable, but with the in-store alterations, if something doesn’t fit you perfectly, we can tweak it so that it does.”

Dekowski, a business major who worked in banking after dropping out of college, always had a love for fashion and decided to open the boutique in Federal Hill this past July after testing the waters with numerous pop-up shops throughout Pennsylvania and Maryland. “I think the fact that I don’t have a huge fashion background is an advantage and allows me to see the needs of the consumer that people who have been in the industry wouldn’t necessarily see,” she says.

The store, which is named after Dekowski’s grandmother, is full of on-trend items from brands such as Sage the Label, Matisse Footwear, Line & Dot, and Pistola Denim. Every week, the team at Hello Addie does an Instagram Live video where they all try on new arrivals and discuss the materials, fits, and quality of the items in real time.

“Everyone that works here has very different body types, so we like to show our girls what each piece could look like on them,” Dekowski says. “We have customers who come in the next day and say, I saw this on Instagram and I would’ve never thought I’d like it, but it looked good on everyone here, so I need it.”

To further her goal of inclusion at Hello Addie, Dekowski has plans to create her own line sometime next year. “Being a buyer for the first time, I noticed quickly that there is no single line that makes something in regular and plus sizes,” she says. “I plan to carry many styles with each piece offered in extra small through plus size. We don’t want anyone to have to walk into the store and have to find their section. We want everyone to be able to look through the same racks and to find something that they can leave feeling great about.”