Sophie Cantin brainstormed the idea of opening a designer consignment shop at 7 a.m., Monday, April 26.

Three hours later, after discussing it with her husband over breakfast, she had handpicked Burberry, Ralph Lauren and Louis Vuitton items from the closet of her first client.

L’Annexe is a high-end consignment boutique located in Sarasota’s Rosemary District and is a sister store to Cantin’s 2008 venture, Paris Couture, which she opened only six months after moving to the area from France.

“I take something that can bring a real sense of fashion and casual elegance,” Cantin said. “I really think the boutique brings a nice opportunity for people. You bring me to a big store and I don’t know what to do — I get lost.”

The charming boutique, unlike most consignment shops because of its city loft feel with unfinished cement floors and pipeline clothing racks, sells gently worn designer clothing, shoes and purses — sorry girls, the Louis Vuitton Eva Clutch, which retails online for $550, sold yesterday for a whopping $150. But there’s still time to snag a Burberry dress for $200 and pair it with some Prada pumps.

Contact Loren Mayo at lmayo@yourobserver.com.

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BASICS
L’Annexe
Owner: Sophie Cantin
Address: 1375 5th St., Sarasota
Phone: 955-9707
Hours: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday
Line of business: High-end consignment store
Employees: Two
Website: www.facebook.com/L.ANNEXECONSIGNMENTSTORE
What makes the business unique: It offers designer clothes, purses and shoes by Burberry, Louis Vuitton, Prada, Miu Miu, Trina Turk and Marmi, to name a few.

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