| Droves of serious shoppers are jumping into their cars to go on New Jersey’s finest fashion pilgrimage: not to large shopping malls in towns like Short Hills or Paramus, but to an independent boutique on the main street of Red Bank, New Jersey. “Sixty percent of our business comes from Bergen County, Staten Island, Philadelphia, even New York City,” says Kimberly Landau, the owner and sole buyer of CoCo Parì, who’s quickly becoming a fashion icon for sexy luxury. In the name of style, ladies are spending up to two hours behind the wheel to lunch and shop in the once quiet town, now widely regarded as “the hippest town” in the state. |
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Landau was just 20 when she opened her
first shop of high-end clothing in Deal. Now, nearly a decade later,
with a second boutique in Red Bank filled with a hand-selected,
highly-edited collection of the season’s most stylish clothing to
her credit, she’s standing five inches taller than her natural 5’5”
thanks to her vertiginous Christian Louboutins.
“It was more than just creating a store, I feel like I took part in driving the renaissance of a town,” she says. The Latin music pulsing onto Broad Street on Friday and Saturday nights, when CoCo Parì stays open until 11:00pm for shopping, cocktails and fun, certainly has something to do with the town’s extreme makeover into the “Soho of the shore”. In creating this fashion haven, Landau was inspired by the vibe in Miami Beach’s South Beach district, filled with trendy boutiques that feel more like clubs than stores. The clothing she’d find there was feminine, confident and sexy. So were the women who wore it. Seeing no reason why women in New Jersey shouldn’t share in the sexy confidence that VIP treatment and flirty frocks bestow, she decided to bring both the styles and the sense of revelry home with her. CoCo Parì is about letting go and enjoying the experience of being spoiled. “The VIP status is here for the taking,” Kimberly says, confirming that shoppers don’t have to be millionaires to be treated as such. In her store, she says, “You don’t have to search for it; you don’t have to wave down a salesperson. You don’t have to lug bags.” Their highly trained staff act as personal shoppers, there to guide you through the store, explain sizes and styles and maybe encourage you to take a few chances, if only in the dressing room. They’ll find items cut perfectly for you, whether you are size 0 or 12. “This isn’t a store just for models – the clothes have to work for real women.” She trains her staff to give honest opinions (unbiased by commissions--they don’t work for them), and won’t let you leave the store with something that doesn’t look great on you. “I’d rather have someone leave empty-handed,” says Kimberly. Looking around, items bursting from racks and shelves, seducing shoppers with a promise of making them slimmer, sexier and even more radiant, it seems like an impossible exercise in restraint to walk out shopping-bag-free. In her boutique, Kimberly stocks everything from $2000 Blumarine dresses to $50 Juicy Couture t-shirts. She favors brands like D&G, Catherine Malandrino, Robert Rodriguez, Valentino Red, Mandalay and Anna Molinari, among others. A testament to her success, Landau brought in accessories lines, including Yves St. Laurent, only found in large luxury department stores like Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue. “They almost never sell to independent shops,” says Kimberly
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doing here.” Designers respond to her savvy fashion sense (her
pedicured feet were donning Jimmy Choos long before Carrie Bradshaw’s
were), local tastemaker status and astute understanding of her
clientele. Some designers even ask for her input in tailoring their
lines to suit her store’s prime shoppers. One word of caution: don’t
be fooled by what’s on the racks. “I only place a couple sizes
of each item out, but we have stock of all sizes,” says Kimberly,
assuring that any woman can find the right fit in her store.
Downstairs, you can find sales items, current season merchandise of
which she’s sold all but the last sizes.
Determined to give woman everything they may need under one roof, Landau teamed up with beauty mecca, Wisteria, when opening the Red Bank store, expanding offerings from clothes and accessories to include skin care, fragrances, makeup, and an exclusive day spa. “Even famous plastic surgeons get their micro-dermabrasion at Wisteria,” she confides. The tan blonde with glowing skin at the helm of the fashion destination is as genuine as she is striking. She spends her days running from store to store, ensuring that the experience will be perfect for all who enter, from the distinctive look, with its zebra stairs, crystal chandeliers, flat TVs and granite floors and trendsetting merchandise to the sales staff employed to make you look and feel sexy and beautiful. Landau recalls with laugh, “When we opened people said, “What do they think, it’s Miami?” It’s a Saturday afternoon and CoCo Parì is crowded with customers. Club music pulses through the store. By the dressing rooms, there’s a woman with two cocktail dresses debating over which works best for a wedding next weekend. By the shoe wall there’s a woman clutching a dazzling black pump for dear life. By the zebra print stairway, there’s a man closely studying a Missoni dress, a possible gift for a very lucky wife. Outside, two teenage boys walk by with baseball caps and jeans. They stop to stare at the window. “Look at those shoes!” one exclaims. “Many people say that they can’t believe they’re in New Jersey,” Kimberly laughs. “Sometimes I can’t believe it.” |
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