Boutique owner spreads happiness
Inside her newly relocated Abejas boutique, Christina Mitchell sits cozily in a taupe Ezio Melotti chair, sporting a leopard-fur vest, stretchy Mother jeans and Golden Goose sneakers. It’s a funky, relaxed style she wears well.
“I’m all about the high-low look,” Mitchell said. “I love to mix the unexpected. I don’t believe clothing defines who you are. It expresses who your are that day. So it’s always changing.”
As customers pour in and out of the store, Mitchell exchanges courtesies with each one like an old friend.
The women’s clothing and accessories store, which was on Kirby near Rice Village for 11 years, had long outgrown its space. After months of searching, Mitchell found the perfect new spot — an old doggrooming salon — on South Boulevard near Kirby. In late October, Mitchell moved into the new location, increasing her space from 1,400 to 3,500 square feet.
The store’s interior is a mix of industrial, country, bohemian and modern all in one. Sunlight pours in from nearly every direction. There’s a kitchen with a long wooden table for shoppers to sit awhile, mingle and enjoy a bite to eat and some organic tea.
The clothing racks are designed with skateboard wheels so they can be moved easily. Also, a wall of shoes carries everything from Diemme crocodile slides ($3,000) to Pedro Garcia flats and heels ($275-$550).
Mitchell’s clothing offerings are equally eclectic, ranging from mink fur vests to handbags made in Italy and brands from the fun Baja East to the sophisticated Sofie D’Hoore.
“I wanted to have a place where you can come visit and relax. We want people to shop, but we want them to feel like this is home,” said Mitchell, 44, who lives near by with her husband, Mark Mitchell, and their three daughters.
She encourages customers to find their own glasses and beverages in the kitchen — and even sends them home with fresh eggs, courtesy of her three chickens — Ruby, Opal and Pearl, which roost in a pen on the patio.
Given the rocky road Mitchell has navigated over past two years, she’s beyond grateful for the new store and her life.
In 2014, doctors diagnosed her Stage 3 breast cancer. Three weeks later, she had a mastectomy, chemotherapy and radiation. She underwent reconstructive surgery the following year.
“When something like that hits your world, you get to a point you don’t want to just sell stuff,” Mitchell said. “This (new location) is about the love and support I’ve felt through the years.”
Mitchell, who graduated from Texas A&M University, opened Manos y Más (meaning “hands and more” in Spanish) nail salon in River Oaks the year after she graduated. Her intention was to go to law school, but she found her niche with the salon. It became one of the city’s hottest spots for a mani and pedi. She eventually carved out a space next door to sell a well-edited collection of clothes. She sold the salon in 2002 but kept the clothing store, which she called Abejas (“bee” in Spanish). Mitchell isn’t a Latina, but she loves the language.
She’s also passionate about wanting the store to feel like home. “If you ever need a hug, stop by,” she tells customers. “Life’s too short not to be happy.”