New Clothing Store Opens Downtown

On Saturday evening, Lucy Lopez was busy with her needle and thread, putting the finishing touches on a black and red floral camisole. Her store, Lucy’s Boutique, had just opened its doors after months of intense preparation, and this was the last detail she had to attend to.

Lopez has been designing and sewing for 29 years, first making her own clothes in high school, then crafting pieces for people she knew. Though she has sold her creations in stores before, this is her first attempt at opening a shop of her own.

Lopez, who grew up in Puerto Rico, says she loves New London. “I really like downtown,” she says smiling, and explains that she particularly enjoys the people and being near the water. But she didn’t want to open her boutique in just any downtown storefront. She specifically coveted this space, at 134 State Street, which she noticed while working for the building’s landlord, William Cornish, at the Winners counter in his restaurant . The layout of the store is long and narrow – perfect for the fashion shows Lopez plans to host. That vision spurred her to finally act on her dream, which she’s had for years. “I wanted to do it here and I did it,” she says.

The boutique’s stock is limited; Lopez sews only about two of each piece. But she will also accept special orders, do alterations, or customize pieces in different colors or fabrics. She particularly likes to design business wear, but is also fond of dresses of all types. “I like to make something different all the time,” she says. On the racks are long and short dresses in varying styles, colorful tops, and gray suits, priced far lower than most of the mass-produced merchandise in nearby malls. Prom dresses will arrive in April, and Lopez hopes to add shoes and jewelry before that. The store’s first fashion show will be held on February 26th.

New London is notably lacking in women’s clothing stores, but Lopez opened Lucy’s Boutique less as a strategic plan to fill a gap in the market than as a venue to share her creations. She is hanging on to her job at Winners, but she is not nervous about the fate of her new venture in uncertain economic times. “Let’s see what happens,” she says. And then, smiling again, “I have a good feeling about it. I think I’ll be fine.”