Houston fashion designer Chloe Dao opened a new boutique this month. Located in Rice Village at 6127 Kirby, the new Dao Chloe Dao space is just a few blocks from her former Lot 8 location. The new boutique is smaller and Chloe's bright, vibrant Spring 2012 collection is on display throughout the store.
When we got the press release about the February launch party for Dao Chloe Dao, we jumped at the chance to attend and get a first look at the new space. Dressed and tressed to kill, we arrived at the boutique a fashionable 15 minutes late. As it turned out, we were actually 24 hours and 15 minutes late -- we entered the wrong date into the event reminder. The upside was that the boutique was 20 minutes from closing, we had the whole place to ourselves and the sales associates were happy to answer our questions and grab us different sizes as we tried on skirts and tops.
The boutique's vibe is relaxed but still chic. Racks are organized by color, with Chloe's designs on display in small groupings throughout the store. Three spacious dressing rooms are located in the rear of the store; the dressing area has both good lighting and good mirrors -- hallelujah. In addition to her own work, there are lots of cute accessories for sale, including computer cases and bags featuring a design repeated in Dao's sign and throughout the store.
Dao didn't just design the dresses, she also had a hand in creating light fixtures and art installations which are located around the boutique. Using the Lumaquilt™ design system by Miami-based designer Dimitry Chamy, Dao created custom backdrops for her mannequins as well as two sculptural light fixtures.
Visit the new Dao Chloe Dao boutique Monday through Saturday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday hours beginning March 4 are 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. In celebration of the Rodeo, Dao Chloe Dao is offering a 25 percent off coupon for a limited time only. Bring in your rodeo tickets to Dao Chloe Dao between now and March 31 and receive 25 percent off one item in the store.