Material Girl Opens A Boutique In Houston

[citykid09]

Detroit's Material Girl Opens a Boutique in Houston

Material Girl Boutique, LLC. announces the opening its full service women's apparel boutique on the 4th of July in Houston, Texas. This event will be complete with a blend of culture, beauty, deep shopping discounts, celebrity appearances and entertainment.

Houston, TX (PRWEB) July 5, 2004 -- MG Material Girl Boutique, LLC announces the opening its full service women's apparel boutique on the 4th of July in Houston, Texas. This Grand Opening event will be complete with a blend of culture, beauty, deep shopping discounts, celebrity appearances and entertainment. KBXX 97.9 the Box will broadcast live between noon and 2:00 p.m during which time a 50% discount will be offered to all shoppers.

Detroit's Material Girl will offer four lucky KBXX listeners a makeover that includes hair styling, makeup, manicure/pedicures, massage, facial and Material Girl apparel valued at $100. In addition, Houston based artist Michelle Williams of Gallore, Shereese, and Jaz will showcase their artwork to add a hint of culture to this festive event.

"Detroit's Material Girl, Gina Luster, has created a stylishly relaxing and effortless shopping experience with a combination of service and trendy apparel. This upscale boutique offers a unique advantage in comparison to its competitors BeBe and Arden B through its service offering of personal shoppers, alterations and the mobile service (Material Girl on the Go). This service provides wardrobe styling and personal shopping to production companies, salons, spas, hotels and individuals. The apparel found at this trendy boutique will have sizes that range from 2

[citykid09]

So does anyone know?

[Parrothead]

I have never even heard of that person or her store. The only "Material Girl" I have ever known is Madonna. Who in the heck is Gina Luster?

[KimberlySayWhat]

TLC's T-Boz just opened a store here:

March 31, 2005, 9:22AM

TLC star's new store is a closetful

By JOY SEWING

Copyright 2005 Houston Chronicle

Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins of the hit R&B group TLC arrives at Chase's Closet, her new children's clothing store in River Oaks Shopping Center, looking so unassuming you'd hardly believe she's a star. ADVERTISEMENT

She's wearing a pale-pink pantsuit and her signature blond hairdo, but the style seems removed from her days with TLC -- when Watkins, Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas and the late Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes wore crazy clothes to match their sexy stage antics and cool lyrics.

TLC achieved fame with a debut album, Ooooooohhh ... On the TLC Tip, in 1992. With its blend of pop, hip-hop and R&B, it was one of the top-selling groups of the 1990s.

The group's flamboyant fashions created as much of a stir as their music, and Watkins was the creative force. "Even though I love Roberto Cavalli and all that, we always had our original TLC outfits. Trendsetting is something I've always believed in. We never had to worry about looking like anyone else," she says.

When Watkins became a mother, she quickly developed a passion for children's fashion. Chase's Closet is named for her 4-year-old daughter, Chase. The store is modeled after Chase's bedroom.

"She's my miracle baby. I was told I couldn't have kids," says Watkins, 35, who has sickle cell anemia and is the national spokesperson for the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America. The inherited blood disease affects red blood cells and often causes pain and damage to many organs.

"Yeah, they told me I couldn't dance, sing or do anything I've ever done, so do I start listening now? No, I don't."

Watkins began mulling the idea of a children's clothing store after friends commented that Chase's closet at their home in Atlanta looked much like a store.

"I had to open a store 'cause I was going broke," says Watkins, who admits spending up to $70,000 a year on clothes for her daughter. "I was always looking for lines like Rocky T and Bambino down South, but I could never find them for my daughter. I had to have them because I wanted her to be different."

While she originally wanted to open a store in Atlanta, Watkins says it was difficult finding a suitable location there. Celebrity stylist Tara Brivic-Rowntree, who had recently moved to Houston, convinced her to consider the area.

"We did our research and found that in Houston, the fourth-largest city, there were many clothing lines we couldn't get, too. We wanted to stay in the South, and Houston was perfect."

Chase's Closet carries clothing lines D&G Junior, Rocky T, Miss Blumarine, Moschino, Ralph Lauren Layette, English Roses, Von Dutch Baby and Mommy and Me lines for both mother and child.

Watkins' move into the children's clothing business is just one of her recent endeavors. She and Thomas, both reality-TV fans, are currently shooting a reality show for UPN, R U the Girl. The winner will have a chance to record a song with TLC and perform once with the group on the show. Watkins insists the show is not an attempt to replace Lopes, who was killed in 2002 in a car accident in Honduras, but an opportunity for one fan to briefly experience life with TLC.

Watkins and Thomas are also working on solo albums and plan to release a TLC greatest-hits album. And they're the voices for an upcoming educational cartoon show, Mac & Me, for PBS.

Watkins is involved in every aspect of the store and even buys clothing at markets in Atlanta and New York. Brivic-Rowntree, also a buyer for the store, assists with daily operations.

Watkins says the store stocks only one item per size in each style because she doesn't want her customers' kids to look like anyone else.

"I want them to feel unique and special," Watkins says.