New boutique offers eclectic mix of brands

Hemline is a popular New Orleans-based chain of women’s boutiques with 23 stores in six Southern states. That includes Hemline Birmingham, which opened in Homewood in August and is only the second Alabama location.

The store’s owner and manager, Kristina Suire, said she loves doing business here.

“Homewood’s been great to me,” said Suire, a Lafayette, Louisiana, native. “Everyone has been so truly, genuinely nice. I couldn’t have picked a better spot.”

The location, on 29th Avenue just off 18th Street, is ideal, according to Suire. 

“It has the walkability I was looking for and is part of a lifestyle area,” she said.

Downtown is also attractive. 

“The Southern charm of the area is very warm and welcoming, almost postcard-like, and the view from my store is unmatched,” Suire said.

Perhaps most important, Suire feels comfortable in Homewood, is excited about building relationships with her customers and feels strongly that her shop — with its eclectic mix of brands — is a needed addition to the city’s shopping menu.

Suire studied fashion merchandising at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and worked for Hemline for 10 years at the Lafayette and New Orleans stores. Hemline was founded at a flea market in the French Quarter in New Orleans in the early 1990s by Brigitte Holthausen, according to Suire.

Holthausen is from Brazil and possesses what Suire calls “an eclectic eye.” 

“The root of Hemline is boho, high-end, trendy,” she said.

The Hemline stores carry a variety of brands and price points and try to have something for everyone, including moms and daughters shopping together, according to Suire.

“Any woman at any age can come in and be helped and find something,” Suire said.

Some of the most popular brands include the Sofia line of dresses and tops, which are hand-washable and “very feminine,” Suire said. She has done well with lightweight sweaters from Kerisma and dresses from Endless Rose.

After a couple of months in the store listening to customers, Suire has begun to find her niche. “I’m tending to target late 20s and up,” she said.

She also said providing clients with “versatility” in their outfits is her “big thing.” Hemline can cater to “the woman who wants the piece that can go from day to night,” Suire said.

Suire enjoys interacting with customers. “Women come in and want to talk, and I want to talk,” she said. “I want to know what you did over the weekend and whether you’re buying an outfit for football or to wear to a benefit.”

The store is open seven days a week, and Suire is there virtually the entire time, but that’s fine with her.

“To be the best I can be, I need to be here building those relationships and hearing what my customers are looking for,” Suire said. “I’m the owner, the manager, the face. You have to put in the work to make it work.”

Hemline Birmingham

WHERE: 1802 29th Ave. S.

HOURS: Sunday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

CALL: 802-9252

WEB: shophemline.com or onFacebook @hemlinebirmingham