The Mustard Seed Boutique is an upscale consignment shop at 311 Ludlow Avenue in Clifton. It’s a place where you can find a cute $15 piece of jewelry to set off an outfit or $400 pair of designer boots to dazzle.
Owner Christie Reinshagen-Wallace, who opened the shop about five years ago, furnishes it with a mixture of new and resale locally designed jewelry and clothes, store overstocks and funky finds from locals who bring in pieces that can’t easily be found elsewhere. Most of the items have a vintage tinge.
“I really wanted to create a show place for unique vintage pieces and to utilize local talent from Cincinnati. I’d like to carry more local designers in here,” she said. “That was really important to me to use local talent and not just carry the big brands.”
Among the designers The Mustard Seed carries are Alternative Motive-Logan Wallace (t-shirts), Prodiji-Brittney Kelley (clothing), Jess Park Designs-Jessica Park (jewelry) ,Tree & Kimball-Lisa Breummer (jewelry) ,Trashy Chic-Erin Fader (jewelry), Vein-Lynda Lucas (jewelry) ,Barbara Pritz- (scarves) and Lulette-Diane Nagel (scarves).
Reinshagen-Wallace is a Cincinnati native and a Xavier art grad. She first got the idea for The Mustard Seed while living briefly in California where she worked at a consignment shop. Clifton is one of the city’s trendiest neighborhoods Reinshagen-Wallace and said she has no trouble finding quality, vintage items for the boutique.
“I feel like I get really great prices for the things I sell, so I get some really amazing things,” Reinshagen-Wallace said.
Not everything in the store is high-end, and there are a wide range of items for sale. Among the brands the boutique carries are Alexander McQueen, Gucci, Christian Louboutin, Gap and Forever 21.
“The store opened at a really great time. People still want to spend, but they want to be a little more responsible when they splurge. So you can come here and get a bag for $500 that would have cost $1,000 new,” she said.
The shop offers a unique service through its Web site, called the Wish List. Looking for something in particular? Reinshagen-Wallace might be able to find it. Just fill out a Wish List describing the item, the price range and when you’d like it. If the item turns up, Reinshagen-Wallace will notify you.
“If the item comes in, (the wish lister) gets first dibs,” she said.
The Mustard Seed has made a name for itself amid a number of boutiques in the area, and was named CityBeat’s “Best Non-Chain Clothing Store” in 2006, 2007 and 2008.
Writer: Feoshia Henderson
Source: The Mustard Seed Boutique Owner Christie Reinshagen-Wallace
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