Doing Business: Malibu Fox Express

EAST COUNTY — The time she took off during her first pregnancy with her son, Dalton, in 2011, changed Danielle Garrow’s life.

Garrow, who grew up playing dress up and worked at a slew of big chain retailers and boutiques starting at age 16, used the time to start sketching designs for clothing.

“I was always more of a creative type,” Garrow said. “I love fashion and I’ve always had a knack for creating things.”

The ideas became tangible pieces of material once she teamed up with individuals who could create the pieces she designed. She started selling her clothing in showrooms in Atlanta, Las Vegas and other metropolitan areas nationwide.

Garrow turned her living room in her Orlando home into a sea of cardboard boxes. She shipped orders to China, Japan, Australia and other international vendors who couldn’t get enough of the spring and summer collections of her fashion line — Malibu Fox.

Looking for a slower-paced option to working with fashion after giving birth to her son and later moving to Sarasota in 2012, she focused on opening her own store to sell clothing under the brand she created.

She opened Malibu Fox Boutique July 21 in East County. Today, she uses her fashion sense on a smaller scale, which allows her to hear from her customers how they feel about the clothing, rather than shipping items overseas and never hearing feedback on her products, she said.

Malibu Fox Boutique, located at 5275 University Parkway, features California-girl-meets-bohemian-style women’s clothing, shoes, furniture and accessories targeted at 20- to 40-year-olds. But, that doesn’t mean women outside of that age bracket won’t find reasonably priced pieces that flatter their body type, Garrow said.

“Some people might think my clothes (at the store) are too young, but it’s all about how you put the outfit together,” Garrow said. “We can make outfits for any age.”

Garrow designs some of the clothing in her store and plans to travel every three months to trade shows in Atlanta and other “fashion-forward cities” in search of unique items that can’t be found in major chain retailers such as Malibu Fox Boutique’s big-box neighbor, Kohl’s.

“You find things in those big stores that thousands of people wear; at a boutique, you can’t find those things anywhere else,” she said.

Product prices typically range between $10 and $100.

The store offers hands-on fashion advice from employees Garrow trained. Rather than sales associates, Malibu Fox houses stylists who provide individualized attention to customers looking for an opinion on outfits.

“I think a lot of customers might need the help, they just maybe don’t want to ask,” Garrow said.

Malibu Fox Boutique
Owner: Danielle Garrow
Hours: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Saturday, noon to 5 p.m., Sundays
Location: 5275 University Parkway, Unit 103, Sarasota
Services: clothing, shoes, accessories and furniture
Website: malibufoxshop.com

About the Owner
Danielle Garrow, 30, grew up in Wilmington, N.C., where she worked for Target, Gap and a string of boutiques throughout the area. She planned to major in organic chemistry and later become a pharmacist, but decided to pursue a career that followed her love for fashion. She has two sons, Dalton and Decan, with her husband, Don, and an English Bulldog named Baxter.

Spotlight On: The Learning Express
Chris Stolz became his own boss this summer when he and wife, Pamela, purchased The Learning Express, located at 8451 Cooper Creek Blvd., Bradenton.

Stolz, a graphic designer, and his wife, a six-year employee of the toy store’s previous owners, reopened the shop under new ownership June 10.

The Learning Express features toys, such as board games, science kits, dolls and other items for children.

“My grandson, Blaze, was playing on a car and a customer ended up buying it,” Chris Stolz said. “He has been my best salesperson.”

Contact Amanda Sebastiano at [email protected]