Owners: Joy Hillman Location: 481 Main St., Dunedin Business Neighbor Since: 2015
Their Business: Mirabella Fashions is a women’s boutique with one core mission: to ensure that every woman who enters the shop walks out looking and feeling chic, comfortable and most importantly, good about themselves through a fun, eclectic selection of contemporary clothing, costume jewelry and accessories. But what shop owner Joy Hillman thinks her store does best is not found on the racks but among her team of loyal, experienced assistant managers and retail clerks. “We are not a high-pressure selling environment like some boutiques are and we are here to offer as much help as we can to our customers.” To Joy and company, that means providing honest feedback, personal service and whatever guidance necessary to assist customers in finding the best outfit or specific garment to fit their personal taste, special occasion or budget. “We offer such an array of styles, sizes and price points that truly almost anyone can shop here.” When the store and its team members are not helping their customers, they find ways to help out their community, frequently supporting suppliers and other organizations’ fundraisers as a vendor or event host, as well as coordinating the shop’s own special fundraisers.
Their Story: Before Mirabella Fashions, Joy had explored the retail world, having owned a gift shop both back home in her native Ohio as well as in the Countryside area of Clearwater. While traveling in Spain, she and her husband visited a fashion boutique that truly dazzled her and opened her eyes to the possibility of owning a boutique herself one day in the Dunedin area. With no specific timeframe or location in mind, Joy returned home and soon crossed paths with a business colleague who she mentioned her boutique idea to in passing, and lo and behold, her colleague knew of an area developer who was planning to launch a new retail site and was seeking shops to populate the spaces. Joy saw this as her opportunity awaiting her and committed to one of the open storefronts along popular Main Street in Downtown Dunedin. By October 2015, Mirabella Fashions opened its doors.
Their Words:
“Dunedin is such an amazing community. All of the other merchants are helpful and friendly, and we work with each other and not against. It is nice to do business in a destination where both tourists and local want to come and shop, eat and roam around their neighborhood.” (Joy Hillman)
“We have made a lot of friends who come in to shop but also to see us, and some have even become friends with our other customers.” (Joy Hillman)
“A long time ago, one of my customers told another shopper who had stopped in the store ‘this isn’t just a boutique, it’s a community.’ I love that because I feel like it’s true.” (Joy Hillman)
Find Us Here: 727.288.2999 ~ mirabellafashions.com ~ and visit us on Facebook and on Instagram!
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Mirabella will also be holding a fashion show again this year. They are in the final days to register their fashion show to benefit MPAN!
The fashion show luncheon will be held at East Lake Woodlands Country Club this year on Friday January 24 at 11:30. It is $34.50 per person with prize giveaways and discounts to shop after the event. Have fun with fashion– all for a good cause!